Rising seas allow coastal wetlands to store more carbon

Authors

Kerrylee Rogers, University of WollongongFollow
Jeffrey Kelleway, Macquarie University
Neil Saintilan, Macquarie University, NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water, Office of Environment and Heritage

RIS ID

133790

Publication Details

Rogers, K., Kelleway, J. & Saintilan, N. (2019). Rising seas allow coastal wetlands to store more carbon. The Conversation, 7 March 1-5.

Abstract

Coastal wetlands don't cover much global area but they punch well above their carbon weight by sequestering the most atmospheric carbon dioxide of all natural ecosystems. Termed "blue carbon ecosystems" by virtue of their connection to the sea, the salty, oxygen-depleted soils in which wetlands grow are ideal for burying and storing organic carbon. In our research, published today in Nature, we found that carbon storage by coastal wetlands is linked to sea-level rise. Our findings suggest as sea levels rise, these wetlands can help mitigate climate change.