Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
Seabed carbon stores threatened by climate change and human activity | |
admin | |
2019-09-19 | |
发布年 | 2019 |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | 英国 |
领域 | 资源环境 |
正文(英文) |
Seabed habitats are important because they contribute to the regulation of global climate by serving as carbon stores. Processes carried out by fauna and microbes within these habitats are strong drivers of that storage capacity and the combined effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) and low oxygen in the ocean, motivated by climate change, impact both marine sediments and the organisms that live in them. Increasing CO2 and hypoxiaIncreasing CO2 in the atmosphere, driven by rising fossil fuel emissions, acts as a stressor on ocean sediment systems as it causes ocean acidification. This can negatively affect marine animals, such as invertebrates living in and on the sediment, by altering natural processes and food webs. Organisms unable to deal with stressors in tandemDuring the experiment, macroalgae (seaweed) were chemically labelled to allow researchers to track carbon uptake and processing by grazing fauna and the sediments, as occurs naturally on seabeds around the world. At higher CO2 levels, organisms living in the sediment actually increased their carbon uptake, probably compensating for the higher energy costs required in the increased-CO2 environment. Carbon fluxesThe research also looked at the stressors’ impacts on the sediment itself and the carbon fluxes that take place. Both hypoxia and increased CO2 led to more carbon being buried in the sediment, due to changes in organisms’ metabolic processes and lower nutrient quality. This could have a major impact on biogeochemical cycles, which could even lead to expansion of these low-oxygen zones. "Key drivers of carbon cycling..."Lead author Dr Chiara Ravaglioli, who completed her research with PML and the University of Pisa, said: “Marine invertebrates are key drivers of carbon cycling in soft sediments. Despite the growing number of stressors that act simultaneously on marine systems, the cumulative impacts of human stressors on soft benthic communities, and the ecosystem processes they mediate, remain largely unknown. The results of our study increase our understanding on the impacts of multiple stressors on carbon fluxes in marine sediments, considering faunal driven benthic processes, and contribute to tune up suitable management strategies in the face of climate changes.” "Relevance of sediment ecosystems to our broader understanding of climate regulation..."Dr Ana Queirós, PML Senior Benthic Ecologist and an author on the paper, said: “This study highlights the relevance of sediment ecosystems to our broader understanding of climate regulation, as well as of how climate change impacts on seabed habitats feedback to affect climate, through altered carbon cycling. We still don't fully understand the capacity of the ocean to store carbon, and thus could be inadvertently contributing to exacerbate climate change through human activities that impact seabed habitats. But by understanding these processes linking seabed habitats, carbon storage and climate more fully through research such as this, we can better utilise the resources available to us to help tackle climate change and protect marine ecosystems.” |
URL | 查看原文 |
来源平台 | Plymouth Marine Laboratory |
文献类型 | 新闻 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/217125 |
专题 | 资源环境科学 |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | admin. Seabed carbon stores threatened by climate change and human activity. 2019. |
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