As Seas Rise, Marshes May Still Trap Carbon—and Cool the Planet

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By Rambo Talabong, Eos/AGU. 

Excerpt: Coastal wetlands have long been seen as one of the casualties of climate change, doomed by the rising seas that are steadily swallowing their ecosystems. ...New research by Virginia Institute of Marine Science coastal geomorphologist Matthew Kirwan has revealed that some marshes, migrating as they adapt to changing conditions, may release carbon (primarily as carbon dioxide) but gain an enhanced capacity to store methane. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and sequestering it may have an atmospheric cooling effect. As sea level rises, freshwater marshes get saltier and turn into salt marshes. Conventional wisdom has long held that as freshwater marshes shrink, they release carbon stored in their soil and biomass. But Kirwan pointed out that as freshwater marshes degrade and salinize, their microbial populations are affected in a way that causes the marshes to emit less methane. “Even degrading marshes can still sequester carbon effectively,” Kirwan said. He will present this research on 10 December at AGU’s Annual Meeting 2024 in Washington, D.C..... 

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