Mangrove forests have the potential to export carbon to adjacent ecosystems but whether mangrove-derived organic carbon (OC) would enhance the soil OC storage in seagrass meadows adjacent to mangroves is unclear. In this study we examine the potential for the contribution of mangrove OC to seagrass soils on the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. We found that seagrass meadows adjacent to mangroves had significantly higher soil OC concentrations, soil OC with lower δ ¹³C, and lower bulk density than those at the non-mangrove adjacent meadows. Soil OC storage to 30 cm depth ranged from 3.21 to 6.82 kg C m⁻², and was also significantly higher at the mangrove adjacent meadows than those non-adjacent meadows. δ¹³C analyses revealed that mangrove OC contributed 34 to 83% to soil OC at the mangrove adjacent meadows. The δ¹³C value of seagrass plants was also different between the seagrasses adjacent to mangroves and those which were not, with lower values measured at the seagrasses adjacent to mangroves. Moreover, we found significant spatial variation in both soil OC concentration and storage, with values decreasing toward sea, and the contribution of mangrove-derived carbon also reduced with distance from the forest.

Surface water samples from downstream and estuarine areas of Jiulong River were collected in August 2011 and May 2012 for detecting sulfonamide antibiotic residues and isolating sulfamethazine-resistant bacteria. Sulfamethazine was detected in all samples in May 2012 at an average concentration of 78.3 ng L⁻¹, which was the highest among the nine sulfonamide antibiotics determined. Sulfamethazine-resistant bacteria (SRB) were screened using antibiotic-containing agar plates. The SRB average abundance in the samples was 3.69 × 10⁴ and 2.17 × 10³ CFUs mL⁻¹ in August 2011 and May 2012, respectively, and was positively correlated to sulfamethazine concentration in May 2012. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of all the 121 SRB isolates revealed high diversity. Furthermore, the SRB isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, with 48.7 % showing resistance to at least three antibiotics. The abundance and persistence of highly diverse SRB and their multidrug resistance are likely to demonstrate the transferable pressure from coastal environments on public health.

Tropical seagrass meadows and coral reefs often function as interconnected marine habitats, but they are often studied and managed as homogenous units. As macrohabitats, seagrass meadows provide important benefits to adjacent reef ecosystems by acting as natural filters of sediments and nutrients, and by providing critical feeding, nursery, and refuge habitats for reef fishes and other fauna. Whilst the macrohabitat functions of seagrass meadows have been often acknowledged, their microhabitats functions have largely been neglected. The purpose of the study is to explore how seagrass meadows provide multiple benefits to adjacent coral reefs through various microhabitat functions. The paper reveals some of the diversity of microhabitats that seagrass meadows contain, such as macroalgal mats, rubble cavities, sand patches with sparse seagrass, anemone gardens, hard substratum, and sponges mixed with seagrass. We highlight the ways in which reef creatures have diversified and specialized in using these different microhabitats, and postulate that seagrass microhabitat diversity enhances the habitat function and faunal diversity of seagrass meadows.