Media coverage
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Media coverage
Title ‘Vast’ carbon sink of mud on seabed needs more protection, study shows Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet The Guardian Media type Web Country/Territory United Kingdom Date 19/09/24 Description Seabed habitats could capture almost three times more carbon than forests in the UK every year if left undisturbed, according to a report published on Thursday.
Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (Sams) have calculated that 244m tonnes of organic carbon is stored in the top 10cm of UK seabed habitats. That includes seagrass meadows, salt marshes, kelp and mussel beds but most (98%) is stored in seabed sediments such as mud and silt.
This “blue carbon”, as it is known, is primarily absorbed by tiny phytoplankton at the base of the marine food chain that drift in the ocean – when they die, most sink and carbon gets incorporated into seabed sediments, just like leaves in woodland soils.
The landmark study, the first in the world to quantify the amount of carbon stored in all of its seabed habitats, aimed to put a figure on just how valuable seabeds are as a carbon store. It is important because it shows how physical disturbance of the marine bed, which happens primarily by human activity such as bottom trawling, can result in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.Producer/Author Anna Turns URL https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/19/vast-carbon-sink-of-mud-on-seabed-needs-more-protection-study-shows Persons Craig Smeaton, William (Bill) Austin Title New data reveals how sea mud is far more important than we think Degree of recognition National Media name/outlet Channel 4 News Media type Television Duration/Length/Size 3.53 minutes Country/Territory United Kingdom Date 19/09/24 Description The UK seabed could annually capture almost three times the carbon soaked up by UK forests, according to new research. It is a staggering peer-reviewed data breakthrough. Producer/Author Alex Thomson URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7B7vSVE-A Persons Craig Smeaton, William (Bill) Austin Title Charities call for action on seabed trawling Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet BBC News Media type Web Country/Territory United Kingdom Date 19/09/24 Description A group of wildlife charities are calling for greater protection of the seabed around the South West.
The calls come after a series of reports estimate high levels of carbon being stored within the top 10cm of seabed sediments.
The storage of so-called 'blue carbons' can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
WWF, The Wildlife Trusts, and the RSPB are calling on the UK government to "strengthen protections for valuable blue carbon stores by minimising the impacts of human activities on the seabed"Producer/Author Lisa Young URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c869q293wl5o Persons Craig Smeaton, William (Bill) Austin
Keywords
- carbon
- organic carbon
- Inorganic carbon
- Saltmarsh
- Seagrass
- Sediment
- Mud
- UK
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- Wales
- England