Chrouy Pros Bay seagrass soil carbon and biomass

What was measured

The study collected 25 seagrass-associated sediment cores. Three biomass cores within 10 m of each sediment core measured above-ground and below-ground plant mass and shoot density. Sediment records include depth intervals, dry bulk density, loss on ignition, carbon fractions, nitrogen, phosphorus and stable carbon isotope ratios. Sampling and laboratory methods followed the CariCAS field and laboratory guide, as described in the original dataset.

The site table reports organic carbon stock for each recovered core (Corg_stock_meas) and a stock normalized to one metre of sediment (Corg_stock_1m), in Mg C/ha. These are stocks per area. They do not measure annual carbon capture, change through time or the total carbon stored across the bay.

Depth in the site table is a category, not a depth in metres. The metadata defines Deep as depth >1 m and Shallow as depth <1 m. The sediment interval fields record centimetres below the sediment surface. Min_sed_depth is the minimum sediment depth established using a metal stake; Core_length is the recovered sediment core length.

The sediment table retains the method flag EA_method: 198 rows are labelled measured and 67 predicted. The metadata defines measured values as determined on an elemental analyzer and predicted values as calculated from loss on ignition using an empirical formula derived from this dataset. The carbon-source proportions in the site table are estimates from a two-endmember stable-isotope mixing model; Mangrove_contribution includes mangrove and terrestrial sources.

What the publication reports

The paper reports 122 ± 52 Mg C/ha in the upper metre of soil and an estimated mangrove/terrestrial contribution of 56–95% to sediment organic carbon across sites. Sparser subtidal meadows had larger soil organic carbon stocks than denser intertidal meadows. These findings describe the sampled bay and connect carbon storage with sediment conditions and material supplied by neighbouring habitats. Krause and colleagues (2025).

This summary follows the publication abstract; the abstract does not identify the uncertainty convention for ±52. The complete original measurements, method flags and metadata are provided below. Carbon-source estimates do not demonstrate that seagrass produced all stored carbon or establish a restoration effect.

Site locations and the coordinate conflict

The map uses site_latitude and site_longitude from the 25-row site table. Those coordinates agree with the geographic coverage recorded in the release metadata. Sediment and biomass records are linked to that table by site_id; all 25 site identifiers have associated sediment records and three biomass cores.

Every site's sediment-table latitude and longitude differs from the site table. The conflict is unresolved: matching identifiers allow the records to be linked, but do not validate the sediment coordinates. Both coordinate sets are retained here and in the original files. No new locations have been inferred.

Download the original release

Version 1 contains six files. The three CSVs below are complete original tables; the README and metadata explain their relationships, fields and units. The Smithsonian Figshare record supplies the full release.

Full tables and original units

The tables preserve the original CSV order, field names, decimal strings and missing-value markers. NA means the source supplies no value; blank cells remain blank. Open a table to read its complete field definitions and records. Wide tables scroll horizontally.

The unit labels below come from metadata.xml. For Corg_dens_interval and Corg_dens_accu, the metadata supplies g/cm³ but describes interval and cumulative carbon quantities. The unit label and values have not been reconciled. They remain exactly as supplied; use the explicitly labelled site-level carbon-stock fields for per-hectare stock values.