Rising seas could eventually 'drown' mangroves and release carbon

'Drowning' mangrove forests in Maldives signal global coastal threat

Researchers have found evidence that mangrove forests -- which protect tropical and subtropical coastlines -- are drowning in the Maldives. Their finding indicate that rising sea level and a climate phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole have led to some Maldivian islands losing over half of their mangrove cover since 2020.

Rising seas could eventually 'drown' mangroves and release carbon

Mangroves could store less carbon—and even begin releasing it—as sea levels rise, suggests new research in Earth's Future. Mangroves are made up of salt-tolerant plants that grow in coastal areas. They cover less than 1% of Earth's surface but store about 15% of all ocean carbon, most of it in their soils. This ability to store carbon makes them important in efforts to limit climate change. Previous research has suggested rising seas could increase carbon storage in mangroves, but the new study challenges this.

Why Mangroves Are On The Frontline In The Fight Against Climate Change

A new study claims sea-level rises will initially trigger more carbon accumulation in some mangrove locations, but will reduce carbon storage in the forests over the long term.

Environmental News Network - Rising Seas Could ‘Drown’ Mangroves and Release Carbon

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Rising Seas May Turn Mangrove Forests From Carbon Sinks Into Carbon Sources

A mangrove keeps a careful appointment with the sea. Twice a day the tide climbs through its roots, drops a fresh skim of mud, and retreats, and the tree builds itself a little higher on the leavings. Do this for a few centuries and you get something extraordinary: a forest sitting on metres of black, waterlogged, carbon-stuffed soil, a sink so dense it puts ordinary woodland to shame. The arrangement only works, though, if the flooding lasts ex…