Baseline report of the identified seagrass beds and its relative abundance in Carmen, Cebu, Philippines

Seagrass beds are among the most productive coastal ecosystems, providing habitat, nursery grounds, and shoreline protection, while also playing a vital role in carbon sequestration. Despite their importance, they remain unprotected and understudied in many areas of the Philippines, including Carmen, northern Cebu. Therefore, study aimed to assess the species diversity, abundance, and distribution of seagrass beds in four coastal barangays of Carmen—Puente, Luyang, Dawis Sur, and Dawis Norte. Standard ecological methods were employed, including the use of 50-meter transects and 0.75 × 0.75 m quadrats placed at 5-meter intervals. A total of 140 quadrats were surveyed across 14 transects. Seagrass species were identified using established field guides, percent cover, relative abundance, and biodiversity indices were calculated. Physico-chemical parameters like temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and salinity were also recorded. 6 species composition were the most abundant; Enhalus acoroides (29.61%), followed by Halodule uninervis (29.52%), Cymodocea rotundata (20.43%), Thalassia hemprichii (13.68%), Syringodium isoetifolium (6.51%), and Halophila minor (0.25%), respectively. The results will provide a baseline understanding of the seagrass ecosystem in Carmen. This research highlights the need for continued monitoring and protection of seagrass habitats, especially in the face of increasing coastal development and fishing activities, pollution, and climate change-related impacts. published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES