Mangroves are major carbon sinks. New research shows that the climate mitigation effect is even better than previously thought. Credit: Luke JeffreyNatural habitats flooded by the tide form ecosystems that captures large amounts of carbon, which can help to mitigate climate change. Carbon dioxide is stored in the biomass and in the muddy soils.
”We have uncovered additional stored carbon in mangrove forests and salt marshes. Our new findings show that much of the carbon is exported to the ocean-bound as bicarbonate as the tide recedes and remains dissolved in the ocean for thousands of years. Bicarbonate stabilizes the pH and can reduce ocean acidification. This contribution has previously been overlooked,” says Gloria Reithmaier, a researcher in marine chemistry at the University of Gothenburg.
”Our results showed that bicarbonate exports were equal to, or even surpassed, the amount of carbon stored in the soil. Therefore, previous estimates of these blue carbon sources have underestimated the potential of mangroves and saltmarshes to mitigate climate change,” says Gloria Reithmaier, adding:
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