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Methane emissions offset atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake in coastal macroalgae, mixed vegetation and sediment ecosystems

Author

Listed:
  • Florian Roth

    (Stockholm University
    University of Helsinki)

  • Elias Broman

    (Stockholm University
    Stockholm University)

  • Xiaole Sun

    (Stockholm University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Stefano Bonaglia

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Francisco Nascimento

    (Stockholm University
    Stockholm University)

  • John Prytherch

    (Stockholm University)

  • Volker Brüchert

    (Stockholm University
    Stockholm University)

  • Maysoon Lundevall Zara

    (Stockholm University)

  • Märta Brunberg

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Marc C. Geibel

    (Stockholm University)

  • Christoph Humborg

    (Stockholm University
    University of Helsinki)

  • Alf Norkko

    (Stockholm University
    University of Helsinki)

Abstract

Coastal ecosystems can efficiently remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and are thus promoted for nature-based climate change mitigation. Natural methane (CH4) emissions from these ecosystems may counterbalance atmospheric CO2 uptake. Still, knowledge of mechanisms sustaining such CH4 emissions and their contribution to net radiative forcing remains scarce for globally prevalent macroalgae, mixed vegetation, and surrounding depositional sediment habitats. Here we show that these habitats emit CH4 in the range of 0.1 – 2.9 mg CH4 m−2 d−1 to the atmosphere, revealing in situ CH4 emissions from macroalgae that were sustained by divergent methanogenic archaea in anoxic microsites. Over an annual cycle, CO2-equivalent CH4 emissions offset 28 and 35% of the carbon sink capacity attributed to atmospheric CO2 uptake in the macroalgae and mixed vegetation habitats, respectively, and augment net CO2 release of unvegetated sediments by 57%. Accounting for CH4 alongside CO2 sea-air fluxes and identifying the mechanisms controlling these emissions is crucial to constrain the potential of coastal ecosystems as net atmospheric carbon sinks and develop informed climate mitigation strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Roth & Elias Broman & Xiaole Sun & Stefano Bonaglia & Francisco Nascimento & John Prytherch & Volker Brüchert & Maysoon Lundevall Zara & Märta Brunberg & Marc C. Geibel & Christoph Humborg & A, 2023. "Methane emissions offset atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake in coastal macroalgae, mixed vegetation and sediment ecosystems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35673-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35673-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gabriel Yvon-Durocher & Andrew P. Allen & David Bastviken & Ralf Conrad & Cristian Gudasz & Annick St-Pierre & Nguyen Thanh-Duc & Paul A. del Giorgio, 2014. "Methane fluxes show consistent temperature dependence across microbial to ecosystem scales," Nature, Nature, vol. 507(7493), pages 488-491, March.
    2. Thomas Weber & Nicola A. Wiseman & Annette Kock, 2019. "Global ocean methane emissions dominated by shallow coastal waters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Eric A. Davidson & Ivan A. Janssens, 2006. "Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change," Nature, Nature, vol. 440(7081), pages 165-173, March.
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    2. Shufen Pang & Mazlinawati Abdul Majid & Hadinnapola Appuhamilage Chintha Crishanthi Perera & Mohammad Saydul Islam Sarkar & Jia Ning & Weikang Zhai & Ran Guo & Yuncheng Deng & Haiwen Zhang, 2024. "A Systematic Review and Global Trends on Blue Carbon and Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Study from 2012 to 2023," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-31, March.

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