Alkalinity enhancement in blue carbon ecosystems – An overlooked solution for climate change mitigation?

Protecting blue carbon ecosystems, i.e., mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses, and macroalgae, can be an effective approach to mitigate climate change. Previous research examining the potential of blue carbon ecosystems to sequester carbon has focused on organic carbon storage in marine sediments. Little is known about inorganic carbon that is produced and exported to the ocean. Blue carbon ecosystems produce inorganic carbon as carbonate alkalinity, which remains permanently dissolved in in the ocean and buffers coastal waters against acidification. My research aims to quantify alkalinity fluxes and their underlying drivers in blue carbon ecosystems, to re-evaluate their climate-mitigation potential and provide new arguments for preserving these threatened coastal ecosystems.

• AushangUBT-Reithmaier_20260108.pdf