Limited site-specific blue carbon recovery following tropical seagrass restoration in Thailand
Abstract
Seagrass restoration is gaining popularity as a nature-based method for climate change mitigation, owing to its effectiveness in capturing and storing organic carbon (Corg). However, demonstrating blue carbon additionality — defined as a measurable increase in carbon stocks directly attributable to restoration activities — remains challenging. This research assessed sedimentary Corg stocks and carbon accumulation rates in restored tropical seagrass meadows throughout Thailand. Despite successful restoration at multiple sites, sediment analysis showed little Corg accumulation, low Corg and organic matter content, with non-significant differences among restored seagrass areas, patchy natural meadows, and nearby bare sand areas. Limited sediment accumulation was further supported by observations of sediment mixing and the absence of clear depositional trends along depth. These sediment properties reflect in the low Corg stocks and no significant differences between restored, patchy natural seagrass and nearby bare sand areas. However, there was significant difference between the sites. Our findings suggest that these restored meadows remain non-depositional environments, potentially due to various reasons such as geomorphological, hydrodynamic conditions, and shoot density. The study emphasizes the considerable spatial differences in blue carbon potential and highlights the complexity in precisely demonstrating carbon additionality in tropical seagrass restoration.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Volume
213
PubMed ID
41264971
Publication Title
Marine Environmental Research
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research / School of Science
Funders
National Research Council of Thailand (N25A650488) / Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (B13F660071, PHD/0061/25600)
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Kaewsrikhaw, R., Stankovic, M., Masqué, P., Vanderklift, M. A., Upanoi, T., & Prathep, A. (2025). Limited site-specific blue carbon recovery following tropical seagrass restoration in Thailand. Marine Environmental Research, 213, 107716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107716