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Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation

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Standard Standard

Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation. / Hatje, Vanessa; Copertino, Margareth; Patire, Vinicius F. et al.
In: Communications Earth and Environment, Vol. 4, No. 1, 160, 08.05.2023.

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

HarvardHarvard

Hatje, V, Copertino, M, Patire, VF, Ovando, X, Ogbuka, J, Johnson, BJ, Kennedy, H, Masque, P & Creed, JC 2023, 'Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 4, no. 1, 160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

APA

Hatje, V., Copertino, M., Patire, V. F., Ovando, X., Ogbuka, J., Johnson, B. J., Kennedy, H., Masque, P., & Creed, J. C. (2023). Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation. Communications Earth and Environment, 4(1), Article 160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

CBE

Hatje V, Copertino M, Patire VF, Ovando X, Ogbuka J, Johnson BJ, Kennedy H, Masque P, Creed JC. 2023. Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation. Communications Earth and Environment. 4(1):Article 160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

MLA

Hatje, Vanessa et al. "Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation". Communications Earth and Environment. 2023. 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

VancouverVancouver

Hatje V, Copertino M, Patire VF, Ovando X, Ogbuka J, Johnson BJ et al. Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation. Communications Earth and Environment. 2023 May 8;4(1):160. doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

Author

Hatje, Vanessa ; Copertino, Margareth ; Patire, Vinicius F. et al. / Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation. In: Communications Earth and Environment. 2023 ; Vol. 4, No. 1.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Vegetated coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean are an unexploited opportunity for climate change mitigation

AU - Hatje, Vanessa

AU - Copertino, Margareth

AU - Patire, Vinicius F.

AU - Ovando, Ximena

AU - Ogbuka, Josiah

AU - Johnson, Beverly J.

AU - Kennedy, Hilary

AU - Masque, Pere

AU - Creed, Joel C.

PY - 2023/5/8

Y1 - 2023/5/8

N2 - Vegetated coastal ecosystems (mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes, often called Blue Carbon ecosystems) store large carbon stocks. However, their regional carbon inventories, sequestration rates, and potential as natural climate change mitigation strategies are poorly constrained. Here, we systematically review organic carbon storage and accumulation rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems across the Central and Southwestern Atlantic, extending from Guyana (08.28°N) to Argentina (55.14°S). We estimate that 0.4 Pg organic carbon is stored in the region, which is approximately 2-5% of global carbon stores in coastal vegetated systems, and that they accumulate 0.5 to 3.9 Tg carbon annually. By ecosystem type, mangroves have the largest areal extent and contribute 70-80% of annual organic carbon accumulation, with Brazil hosting roughly 95% of mangrove stocks. Our findings suggest that organic carbon accumulation in the region is equivalent to 0.7 to 13% of global rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems, indicating the importance of conserving these ecosystems as a nature-based approach for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

AB - Vegetated coastal ecosystems (mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes, often called Blue Carbon ecosystems) store large carbon stocks. However, their regional carbon inventories, sequestration rates, and potential as natural climate change mitigation strategies are poorly constrained. Here, we systematically review organic carbon storage and accumulation rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems across the Central and Southwestern Atlantic, extending from Guyana (08.28°N) to Argentina (55.14°S). We estimate that 0.4 Pg organic carbon is stored in the region, which is approximately 2-5% of global carbon stores in coastal vegetated systems, and that they accumulate 0.5 to 3.9 Tg carbon annually. By ecosystem type, mangroves have the largest areal extent and contribute 70-80% of annual organic carbon accumulation, with Brazil hosting roughly 95% of mangrove stocks. Our findings suggest that organic carbon accumulation in the region is equivalent to 0.7 to 13% of global rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems, indicating the importance of conserving these ecosystems as a nature-based approach for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

U2 - 10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

DO - 10.1038/s43247-023-00828-z

M3 - Article

VL - 4

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

SN - 2662-4435

IS - 1

M1 - 160

ER -