Data from: Estimation of metabolic dynamics of restored seagrass meadows in a Southeast Asia Islet: Insights from ex situ benthic incubation

Seagrass meadows are vital carbon sinks, but their function is threatened
by rapid decline, driving restoration efforts to enhance coastal recovery
and carbon removal. The capacity of these restored seagrasses as carbon
sources or sinks depends largely on organic carbon metabolism and
carbonate dynamics. In this study, we employed ex situ core incubation to
investigate the metabolic rates of replanted seagrasses (SG), including
gross primary productivity (GPP), community respiration (R), net ecosystem
metabolism (NEM), and net ecosystem calcification (NEC) in SG and
surrounding bare sediments (BS). SG exhibited higher GPP (26.0 ± 1.0 mmol
O2 m-2 h-1 vs 0.7 ± 0.1 mmol O2 m-2 h-1) and NEM (208.2 ± 6.3 mmol O2 m-2
d-1 vs 20.1 ± 2.8 mmol O2 m-2 d-1) than BS, indicating their potential as
carbon sinks by shifting benthic metabolism towards a more autotrophic
state. In contrast, SG showed higher daytime carbonate production and
nighttime carbonate dissolution, which could offset each other, resulting
in no significant difference in NEC between SG and BS. In summary, our
results found that the SG exhibited significantly higher NEM compared to
BS, while no significant difference was found for NEC. Consequently, the
net effect on the carbon uptake capacity of the restored seagrass is
likely increased, primarily due to the higher NEM. Our findings highlight
the ecological significance of seagrass restoration in mitigating climate
change through carbon removal. The ex situ core incubation method allows
for the simultaneous measurement of organic and inorganic carbon
metabolism. While ex situ core incubation enhances feasibility, in situ
assessments are still necessary to validate the results and ensure a
comprehensive understanding of seagrass ecosystem dynamics.