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Recent studies highlight the significant potential of vast underwater seaweed forests in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing carbon. These coastal ecosystems, dominated by large seaweeds called macroalgae, absorb substantial amounts of atmospheric CO2. Earlier estimations suggested that annually between 4 million and 44 million tonnes of carbon originating from macroalgae sink to ocean depths of up to 200 metres, where they can remain sequestered for at least a century.
A multinational team of researchers from Germany, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, and the UK have conducted groundbreaking work by tracking approximately 8,000 floating seaweed rafts near southwest Greenland. Utilizing a combination of satellite data, computer simulations, and ocean current monitoring equipment, the scientists discovered that ocean currents can transport these seaweed clusters hundreds of kilometres from their coastal origins. As surface waters cool, the floating macroalgae descend below the ocean surface, where they decompose and sink, effectively moving carbon into the deep sea.
Professor Ana Queirós, an expert in marine climate change ecology and the climate change lead at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, emphasized the study’s importance by explaining, “Our findings illustrate a tangible oceanic conveyor belt that links thriving coastal macroalgal forests with the deep ocean’s carbon reservoir. Recognising these natural transport and mixing pathways enhances how we understand macroalgae’s vital role in the Earth’s carbon cycle.” This insight broadens the understanding of how marine ecosystems contribute to long-term carbon storage.
The research underlines the critical function of macroalgae forests as part of the planet’s natural climate regulation system. By identifying and tracking the pathways these seaweed rafts take, scientists gain a better grasp of the ocean’s carbon cycling processes. This knowledge is poised to influence strategies for climate mitigation that integrate the protection and preservation of these underwater seaweed habitats
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