Scientists make optimistic discovery while studying mangroves and salt marshes: 'This contribution has previously been o [View all]

Scientists make optimistic discovery while studying mangroves and salt marshes: 'This contribution has previously been overlooked'

"Mangroves are magical forests where we discover nature's secrets."

by Jeremiah BudinApril 12, 2024



Mangroves, a group of trees and shrubs that grow mainly in coastal saline or brackish water, help the environment in several ways: they prevent coastal erosion, provide a nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans, and store carbon.

Now, scientists have discovered that mangrove and salt marshes store twice the amount of carbon as previously thought, as detailed in a report by the University of Gothenburg posted by SciTechDaily.

Researchers from the university analyzed 45 mangrove swamps and 16 salt marshes around the world and found that they were capturing and neutralizing an incredible amount of planet-overheating carbon by converting it into bicarbonate, a harmless substance that can help to mitigate ocean acidification and is used by crustaceans to build shells, per the report.

"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," said Gloria Reithmaier, a researcher in marine chemistry at the University of Gothenburg, per SciTechDaily. "This contribution has previously been overlooked."

More:
https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/mangroves-salt-marshes-carbon-storage-ocean-acidification/