THE POTENTIAL OF CARBON STOCKS IN SEAGRASS MEADOW IN THE WATERS OF MRICAN BEACH, BATULAWANG BEACH AND LAENDRA BEACH, KEMUJAN ISLAND, KARIMUNJAWA ISLANDS

Abstract

Seagrass meadows in coastal ecosystems can absorb CO2 through photosynthesis. The results of carbon biomass absorption from the photosynthesis process of seagrass are stored in leaf, root, and rhizome tissues. This research aimed to determine the composition of seagrasses, determine the area of seagrass meadow which is useful for estimating the total carbon storage and the ability of seagrass meadow to absorb carbon at Mrican Beach, Batulawang Beach, Laendra Beach, Kemujan Island, Karimunjawa National Park. The research was conducted in September 2021. Data were collected at Mrican Beach (Stations 1 and 2), Batu Lawang Beach (Stations 3 and 4), and Laendra Beach (Stations 5 and 6), Kemujan Island. The 2017 seagrass meadow monitoring guide from LIPI was used as a reference for the seagrass data collection method and the Loss of Ignition (LOI) method was used to analyze carbon in seagrass. The results showed that three species of seagrass were found in the waters of Kemujan Island, namely Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, and Cymodocea rotundata. Seagrass density ranged from 167-490 Ind/m2. The carbon content at the research site ranged from 9.36-143.88 at the bottom of the substrate and 4.99-71.91 at the top of the substrate. Seagrass species E. acoroides had the highest carbon content of 310.79 gC/m2. Total seagrass carbon was around 26.66 MgC/Ha with a total seagrass area of 303.099 m2. The extent of carbon storage in seagrass could be used to support efforts to manage coastal ecosystems, especially seagrass meadows on Kemujan Island, Karimunjawa Islands.

Keywords

• carbon
• seagrass
• kemujan island
• loss of ignition (loi)