Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss

Johannes R. Krause; Clint Cameron; Ariane Arias-Ortiz; Miguel Cifuentes-Jara; Steve Crooks; Martin Dahl; Daniel A. Friess; Hilary Kennedy; Kiah Eng Lim; Catherine E. Lovelock; Núria Marbà; Karen J. McGlathery; Matthew P. J. Oreska; Emily Pidgeon; Oscar Serrano; Mathew A. Vanderklift; Lynn-Wei Wong; Siti Maryam Yaakub; James W. Fourqurean

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4

Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss

Johannes R. Krause
, Clint Cameron
, Ariane Arias-Ortiz
, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara
, Steve Crooks
, Martin Dahl
, Daniel A. Friess
, Hilary Kennedy
, Kiah Eng Lim
, Catherine E. Lovelock
, Núria Marbà
, Karen J. McGlathery
, Matthew P. J. Oreska
, Emily Pidgeon
, Oscar Serrano
, Mathew A. Vanderklift
, Lynn-Wei Wong
, Siti Maryam Yaakub
, James W. Fourqurean

School of Ocean Sciences

Florida International University
University of Queensland
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Maryland
Silvestrum Climate Associates
Södertörn University, Huddinge
Tulane University
National University of Singapore
Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats
University of Virginia
Conservation International, Arlington, USA
Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC)
Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre
Conservation International

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Seagrass ecosystems are recognized for their capacity to sequester and store organic carbon, but there is large variability in soil organic carbon stocks associated with plant traits and environmental conditions, making the quantification and scaling of carbon storage and fluxes needed to contribute to climate change mitigation highly challenging. Here, we provide estimates of carbon stocks associated with seagrass systems (biomass and soil) through analyses of a comprehensive global database including 2700+ seagrass soil cores. The median global soil C stock estimate is 24.2 (12.4 - 44.9) Mg C ha in the top 30 cm of soil, 27% lower than estimates from previous global syntheses, refining the IPCC Tier 1 soil C stock currently used for carbon accounting in places without local data. We estimate that seagrass carbon stocks at risk of degradation could emit 1,154 Tg (665 - 1699) CO with a social cost of $213 billion (2020 US dollars), if no action is taken to conserve these habitats. [Abstract copyright: © 2025. The Author(s).]

Original language	English
Article number	3798
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4
Publication status	Published - 6 May 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

Alismatales/metabolism
Biomass
Carbon Dioxide/analysis
Carbon Sequestration
Carbon/analysis
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Soil/chemistry
Carbon Dioxide - analysis - metabolism
Soil - chemistry
Alismatales - metabolism
Carbon - analysis - metabolism

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s41467-025-59204-4Final published version, 5.12 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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Krause, J. R., Cameron, C., Arias-Ortiz, A., Cifuentes-Jara, M., Crooks, S., Dahl, M., Friess, D. A., Kennedy, H., Lim, K. E., Lovelock, C. E., Marbà, N., McGlathery, K. J., Oreska, M. P. J., Pidgeon, E., Serrano, O., Vanderklift, M. A., Wong, L.-W., Yaakub, S. M., & Fourqurean, J. W. (2025). Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss. Nature Communications, 16, Article 3798. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4

@article{be63dd050c7847fb94e0ab16b5b3bf79,

title = "Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss",

abstract = "Seagrass ecosystems are recognized for their capacity to sequester and store organic carbon, but there is large variability in soil organic carbon stocks associated with plant traits and environmental conditions, making the quantification and scaling of carbon storage and fluxes needed to contribute to climate change mitigation highly challenging. Here, we provide estimates of carbon stocks associated with seagrass systems (biomass and soil) through analyses of a comprehensive global database including 2700+ seagrass soil cores. The median global soil C stock estimate is 24.2 (12.4 - 44.9) Mg C ha in the top 30 cm of soil, 27\% lower than estimates from previous global syntheses, refining the IPCC Tier 1 soil C stock currently used for carbon accounting in places without local data. We estimate that seagrass carbon stocks at risk of degradation could emit 1,154 Tg (665 - 1699) CO with a social cost of \$213 billion (2020 US dollars), if no action is taken to conserve these habitats. [Abstract copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025. The Author(s).]",

keywords = "Alismatales/metabolism, Biomass, Carbon Dioxide/analysis, Carbon Sequestration, Carbon/analysis, Climate Change, Ecosystem, Soil/chemistry, Carbon Dioxide - analysis - metabolism, Soil - chemistry, Alismatales - metabolism, Carbon - analysis - metabolism",

author = "Krause, \{Johannes R.\} and Clint Cameron and Ariane Arias-Ortiz and Miguel Cifuentes-Jara and Steve Crooks and Martin Dahl and Friess, \{Daniel A.\} and Hilary Kennedy and Lim, \{Kiah Eng\} and Lovelock, \{Catherine E.\} and N{\'u}ria Marb{\`a} and McGlathery, \{Karen J.\} and Oreska, \{Matthew P. J.\} and Emily Pidgeon and Oscar Serrano and Vanderklift, \{Mathew A.\} and Lynn-Wei Wong and Yaakub, \{Siti Maryam\} and Fourqurean, \{James W.\}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2025. The Author(s).",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

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Krause, JR, Cameron, C, Arias-Ortiz, A, Cifuentes-Jara, M, Crooks, S, Dahl, M, Friess, DA, Kennedy, H, Lim, KE, Lovelock, CE, Marbà, N, McGlathery, KJ, Oreska, MPJ, Pidgeon, E, Serrano, O, Vanderklift, MA, Wong, L-W, Yaakub, SM & Fourqurean, JW 2025, 'Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss', Nature Communications, vol. 16, 3798. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4

TY - JOUR

T1 - Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss

AU - Krause, Johannes R.

AU - Cameron, Clint

AU - Arias-Ortiz, Ariane

AU - Cifuentes-Jara, Miguel

AU - Crooks, Steve

AU - Dahl, Martin

AU - Friess, Daniel A.

AU - Kennedy, Hilary

AU - Lim, Kiah Eng

AU - Lovelock, Catherine E.

AU - Marbà, Núria

AU - McGlathery, Karen J.

AU - Oreska, Matthew P. J.

AU - Pidgeon, Emily

AU - Serrano, Oscar

AU - Vanderklift, Mathew A.

AU - Wong, Lynn-Wei

AU - Yaakub, Siti Maryam

AU - Fourqurean, James W.

PY - 2025/5/6

Y1 - 2025/5/6

N2 - Seagrass ecosystems are recognized for their capacity to sequester and store organic carbon, but there is large variability in soil organic carbon stocks associated with plant traits and environmental conditions, making the quantification and scaling of carbon storage and fluxes needed to contribute to climate change mitigation highly challenging. Here, we provide estimates of carbon stocks associated with seagrass systems (biomass and soil) through analyses of a comprehensive global database including 2700+ seagrass soil cores. The median global soil C stock estimate is 24.2 (12.4 - 44.9) Mg C ha in the top 30 cm of soil, 27% lower than estimates from previous global syntheses, refining the IPCC Tier 1 soil C stock currently used for carbon accounting in places without local data. We estimate that seagrass carbon stocks at risk of degradation could emit 1,154 Tg (665 - 1699) CO with a social cost of $213 billion (2020 US dollars), if no action is taken to conserve these habitats. [Abstract copyright: © 2025. The Author(s).]

AB - Seagrass ecosystems are recognized for their capacity to sequester and store organic carbon, but there is large variability in soil organic carbon stocks associated with plant traits and environmental conditions, making the quantification and scaling of carbon storage and fluxes needed to contribute to climate change mitigation highly challenging. Here, we provide estimates of carbon stocks associated with seagrass systems (biomass and soil) through analyses of a comprehensive global database including 2700+ seagrass soil cores. The median global soil C stock estimate is 24.2 (12.4 - 44.9) Mg C ha in the top 30 cm of soil, 27% lower than estimates from previous global syntheses, refining the IPCC Tier 1 soil C stock currently used for carbon accounting in places without local data. We estimate that seagrass carbon stocks at risk of degradation could emit 1,154 Tg (665 - 1699) CO with a social cost of $213 billion (2020 US dollars), if no action is taken to conserve these habitats. [Abstract copyright: © 2025. The Author(s).]

KW - Alismatales/metabolism

KW - Biomass

KW - Carbon Dioxide/analysis

KW - Carbon Sequestration

KW - Carbon/analysis

KW - Climate Change

KW - Ecosystem

KW - Soil/chemistry

KW - Carbon Dioxide - analysis - metabolism

KW - Soil - chemistry

KW - Alismatales - metabolism

KW - Carbon - analysis - metabolism

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4

DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4

M3 - Article

C2 - 40328738

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 16

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 3798

ER -

Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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