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Stimulus Material for depth studies, courtesy of Macquarie University
The past and future of ‘blue carbon’
Rising sea levels are allowing coastal wetlands to store more carbon, which may have implications for how we
best manage them in the future, according to two new papers co-authored by Macquarie University researchers.
The first paper, published in Nature, looked at how sea level change over the past few thousand years has
influenced how blue-carbon—the carbon stored in wetlands, rivers, estuaries and oceans—is stored globally.
Coastal wetlands sequester the highest rates of atmospheric carbon dioxide of all natural ecosystems, say Jeff
Kelleway and Professor Neil Saintilan (Department of Environmental Sciences).
They found that as sea levels rise these rates increase further, meaning these wetlands could help mitigate some
of the effects of climate change.
The second paper, published in Scientific Reports, looked at the carbon benefits of letting the sea back into
impounded coastal floodplains.
The paper found this led to reduced carbon dioxide emissions but not methane emissions, although this was also
influenced by the wetland’s elevation and the rainfall it received.
The Scientific Reports paper was the last paper co-authored by our late colleague Grant Edwards, and his fellow
authors dedicated it to his memory.
“This contribution would not have been possible without his scientific vision and technical proficiency,” they said.
Find out more Photo by Katie Haenn.
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 68 NO 3