Carbon sequestration and geochronology in Southern England’s seagrass meadows

do Amaral Camara Lima, Mariana; Ward, Raymond D.; Joyce, Chris B.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide an evaluation of the current methods used to assess carbon sequestration (Cseq) rates from intertidal Zostera spp. meadows in central Southern England. This study evaluated the use of 210Pb dating methods to calculate sediment accretion rates from four intertidal seagrass meadows along the southern central coast of England. Results obtained were then used to determine Cseq rates, following different models. The mean rate of Cseq calculated in this study using the CRS model was 75.12 g m-2 year-1, comparable to other global regions and within the estimated global range. However, results revealed that other, conservative methods, provide much lower Cseq rates, highlighting the need for caution when choosing appropriate methods and reporting results related to seagrass carbon sequestration potential. Moreover, these results highlight the importance of local assessments of Cseq, and the need to create robust models that include the effects of mixing, erosion, and disturbance, to better understand the possible effects of extreme climate events and anthropogenic impacts on seagrass ecosystems' carbon sequestration potential.

Citation

do Amaral Camara Lima, M., Ward, R. D., & Joyce, C. B. (in press). Carbon sequestration and geochronology in Southern England’s seagrass meadows. Carbon Footprints, 2(4), https://doi.org/10.20517/cf.2023.08

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 25, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 28, 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 16, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 19, 2023
• Journal: Carbon Footprints
• Print ISSN: 2831-932X
• Publisher: OAE Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.20517/cf.2023.08