A bibliometric analysis of seagrass sediment: Interpretation and prospects for research hotspots

Seagrass sediment is intricately linked to their ecological functions, collectively forming the foundation of the seagrass ecosystem, and providing a range of essential ecosystem services, underscoring their significant research importance. This study aims to analyze the emerging hotspots and evolving trends in research on seagrass sediment over the past two decades (2003-2023), identify current research gaps, and forecast future directions for investigation. We extracted data from 3,390 studies identified in the Web of Science that have published pivotal research on seagrass sediment. Over this period, investigations into seagrass sediment have progressively transitioned from focusing on seagrass ecology to examining global change impacts on these sediments, ultimately shifting towards blue carbon research. Notably, there remains a paucity of studies addressing the sediments of small and tropical seagrasses. Furthermore, while the sedimentation mechanisms related to seagrasses represent an active area of inquiry, comprehensive analyses regarding these mechanisms are still limited. This study underscores the critical need for further exploration into sedimentation processes involving seagrasses as well as calls for enhanced integration within blue carbon ecosystem sediment studies pertaining to seagrass habitats.