Export from seagrass meadows contributes to seagrass C-sequestration

TY - JOUR

T1 - Export from seagrass meadows contributes to seagrass C-sequestration

AU - Quesada, Carlos M Duarte

AU - Krause-Jensen, Dorte

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Seagrasses export a substantial portion of their primary production, both in particulate and dissolved organic form, but the fate of this export production remains unaccounted for in terms of seagrass carbon sequestration. Here we review available evidence on the fate of seagrass carbon export to conclude that this represents a significant contribution to carbon sequestration, both in sediments outside seagrass meadows and in the deep sea. The evidence presented implies that the contribution of seagrass meadows to carbon sequestration has been underestimated by only including carbon burial within seagrass sediments.

AB - Seagrasses export a substantial portion of their primary production, both in particulate and dissolved organic form, but the fate of this export production remains unaccounted for in terms of seagrass carbon sequestration. Here we review available evidence on the fate of seagrass carbon export to conclude that this represents a significant contribution to carbon sequestration, both in sediments outside seagrass meadows and in the deep sea. The evidence presented implies that the contribution of seagrass meadows to carbon sequestration has been underestimated by only including carbon burial within seagrass sediments.

KW - Blue carbon

KW - Carbon

KW - Deep sea

KW - Export

KW - Seagrass

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85017276018&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fmars.2017.00013

DO - 10.3389/fmars.2017.00013

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2296-7745

VL - 4

JO - Frontiers in Marine Science

JF - Frontiers in Marine Science

IS - JAN

M1 - 13

ER -