The Ecological Significance of Diatom Communities in Enhancing Climate Resilience of Seagrass Ecosystems: A Systematic Review (Case of Indonesia)

Abstract

Seagrass meadows are increasingly recognized as climate‐regulating coastal systems, with their resilience under warming and eutrophication stress is strongly mediated by epiphytic microalgal assemblages. Among these, diatoms constitute the dominant and functionally influential group, particularly in tropical seagrass habitats. This systematic review synthesizes 2005–2025 empirical research on diatom–seagrass interactions across Indonesian coastal ecosystems. Literature screening followed PRISMA guidelines and yielded 27 studies reporting species composition, epiphytic biomass, and associated physicochemical conditions. The dominant seagrass hosts included Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, and Halophila ovalis, which supported recurrent diatom genera such as Navicula, Cocconeis, Amphora, and Nitzschia. Functional interpretation indicates that diatom epiphytes contribute to carbon assimilation, micro‐nutrient retention, and boundary‐layer biofilm stabilization, thereby enhancing seagrass metabolic efficiency under moderate environmental stress. However, at elevated nutrient loads and thermal anomalies, epiphytic proliferation leads to photic shading and suppressed seagrass photosynthetic performance, marking a shift from facilitative to competitive interaction regimes. These findings underscore epiphytic diatom community structure as a sensitive indicator of seagrass functional stability and climate resilience. Integrating diatom‐based bioindicators into seagrass monitoring frameworks is, therefore, essential for adaptive coastal ecosystem management in Indonesia.

Keywords: coastal ecosystem; diatoms; epiphytic microalgal, nutrient enrichment; seagrass resilience