Publications by authors named "Juliet C Simpson"
Seagrass meadows can be sinks for organic carbon, but estimates of global organic carbon stocks are complicated by substantial spatial variability in organic carbon burial observed within meadows. To improve estimates of organic carbon burial in seagrass meadows, it is necessary to understand the causes of the spatial heterogeneity. This study investigated relationships between spatial patterns in sediment organic carbon storage and accretion rates, hydrodynamics, and proximity to sources of organic carbon in a current-dominated Zostera marina Linnaeus meadow in Menemsha Pond, Massachusetts, USA.
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- The majority of carbon stored in seagrass sediments comes from outside the meadow, making carbon storage heavily reliant on local hydrodynamic conditions that promote the deposition of organic matter.
- This study analyzed how the varying hydrodynamic intensity in a single eelgrass meadow in Nahant Harbor, Massachusetts, affected sediment and carbon accretion rates across different depth zones.
- Results showed that both sediment and carbon accretion were higher in areas with lower turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), indicating that less turbulence leads to less resuspension and better carbon retention, suggesting a method for more accurate estimation of overall meadow accretion rates.