The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options:  Evidence review

Ruth Parker; Carolyn  Graves; John Aldridge; Richard  Heal; David  Hughes; Claire  Mason; Claire  Powell; William (Bill) Austin; Thomas Bell; Stephanie Clarkson; Jessica Elias; Natallie Hicks; Jan Hiddink; William  Homoky; Corallie  Hunt; Billy Hunter; Ana Ivanovic; Michel  Kaiser; Hilary Kennedy; Maija  Marsh; Ryan  Pereira; Philippa  Rickard; Tom  Rippeth; Karen  Robinson; Marija  Sciberras; Craig Smeaton; Christopher  Vane; Phillip  Williamson; Hugo  Woodward-Rowe; Clare Woulds; Clare Bradshaw; Mark Chatting; Mark Coughlan; Markus  Diesing; Christian  Lønborg; Barry O'Neill; Sarah  Paradis; Lucas  Porz; Samuel  Rastrick; Justin  Tiano; Wenyan  Zhang

The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review

Ruth Parker^*, Carolyn Graves, John Aldridge, Richard Heal, David Hughes, Claire Mason, Claire Powell, William (Bill) Austin, Thomas Bell, Stephanie Clarkson, Jessica Elias, Natallie Hicks, Jan Hiddink , William Homoky, Corallie Hunt, Billy Hunter, Ana Ivanovic, Michel Kaiser, Hilary Kennedy, Maija MarshRyan Pereira, Philippa Rickard, Tom Rippeth, Karen Robinson, Marija Sciberras, Craig Smeaton, Christopher Vane, Phillip Williamson, Hugo Woodward-Rowe, Clare Woulds, Clare Bradshaw, Mark Chatting, Mark Coughlan, Markus Diesing, Christian Lønborg, Barry O'Neill, Sarah Paradis, Lucas Porz, Samuel Rastrick, Justin Tiano, Wenyan Zhang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report

Abstract

The evidence surrounding organic carbon (hereby referred to as “OC”) storage in subtidal seabed sediments and the potential impact from human activities, and climate itself, is growing at pace. This technical briefing assesses the current evidence base, providing confidence levels and options for how this might direct potential next steps. It will inform the direction of Defra’s work in the UK and internationally to identify and fill key evidence gaps collaboratively through existing and future programmes. This briefing also identifies a range of measures which could be taken to protect subtidal seabed sediment OC as a nature-based solution to climate change and highlights potential trade-offs.

Original language	English
Publisher	Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
Commissioning body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Publication status	Published - 25 Feb 2026

UN SDGs

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

SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

carbon
sediment
trawling
bottom contact
organic carbon
climate

Cite this

Parker, R., Graves, C., Aldridge, J., Heal, R., Hughes, D., Mason, C., Powell, C., Austin, W., Bell, T., Clarkson, S., Elias, J., Hicks, N., Hiddink , J., Homoky, W., Hunt, C., Hunter, B., Ivanovic, A., Kaiser, M., Kennedy, H., ... Zhang, W. (2026). The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

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title = "The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review",

abstract = "The evidence surrounding organic carbon (hereby referred to as “OC”) storage in subtidal seabed sediments and the potential impact from human activities, and climate itself, is growing at pace. This technical briefing assesses the current evidence base, providing confidence levels and options for how this might direct potential next steps. It will inform the direction of Defra{\textquoteright}s work in the UK and internationally to identify and fill key evidence gaps collaboratively through existing and future programmes. This briefing also identifies a range of measures which could be taken to protect subtidal seabed sediment OC as a nature-based solution to climate change and highlights potential trade-offs. ",

keywords = "carbon, sediment, trawling, bottom contact, organic carbon, climate",

author = "Ruth Parker and Carolyn Graves and John Aldridge and Richard Heal and David Hughes and Claire Mason and Claire Powell and Austin, \{William (Bill)\} and Thomas Bell and Stephanie Clarkson and Jessica Elias and Natallie Hicks and Jan Hiddink and William Homoky and Corallie Hunt and Billy Hunter and Ana Ivanovic and Michel Kaiser and Hilary Kennedy and Maija Marsh and Ryan Pereira and Philippa Rickard and Tom Rippeth and Karen Robinson and Marija Sciberras and Craig Smeaton and Christopher Vane and Phillip Williamson and Hugo Woodward-Rowe and Clare Woulds and Clare Bradshaw and Mark Chatting and Mark Coughlan and Markus Diesing and Christian L{\o}nborg and Barry O'Neill and Sarah Paradis and Lucas Porz and Samuel Rastrick and Justin Tiano and Wenyan Zhang",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "25",

language = "English",

publisher = "Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)",

}

Parker, R, Graves, C, Aldridge, J, Heal, R, Hughes, D, Mason, C, Powell, C, Austin, W, Bell, T, Clarkson, S, Elias, J, Hicks, N, Hiddink , J, Homoky, W, Hunt, C, Hunter, B, Ivanovic, A, Kaiser, M, Kennedy, H, Marsh, M, Pereira, R, Rickard, P, Rippeth, T, Robinson, K, Sciberras, M, Smeaton, C, Vane, C, Williamson, P, Woodward-Rowe, H, Woulds, C, Bradshaw, C, Chatting, M, Coughlan, M, Diesing, M, Lønborg, C, O'Neill, B, Paradis, S, Porz, L, Rastrick, S, Tiano, J & Zhang, W 2026, The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

TY - BOOK

T1 - The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review

AU - Parker, Ruth

AU - Graves, Carolyn

AU - Aldridge, John

AU - Heal, Richard

AU - Hughes, David

AU - Mason, Claire

AU - Powell, Claire

AU - Austin, William (Bill)

AU - Bell, Thomas

AU - Clarkson, Stephanie

AU - Elias, Jessica

AU - Hicks, Natallie

AU - Hiddink , Jan

AU - Homoky, William

AU - Hunt, Corallie

AU - Hunter, Billy

AU - Ivanovic, Ana

AU - Kaiser, Michel

AU - Kennedy, Hilary

AU - Marsh, Maija

AU - Pereira, Ryan

AU - Rickard, Philippa

AU - Rippeth, Tom

AU - Robinson, Karen

AU - Sciberras, Marija

AU - Smeaton, Craig

AU - Vane, Christopher

AU - Williamson, Phillip

AU - Woodward-Rowe, Hugo

AU - Woulds, Clare

AU - Bradshaw, Clare

AU - Chatting, Mark

AU - Coughlan, Mark

AU - Diesing, Markus

AU - Lønborg, Christian

AU - O'Neill, Barry

AU - Paradis, Sarah

AU - Porz, Lucas

AU - Rastrick, Samuel

AU - Tiano, Justin

AU - Zhang, Wenyan

PY - 2026/2/25

Y1 - 2026/2/25

N2 - The evidence surrounding organic carbon (hereby referred to as “OC”) storage in subtidal seabed sediments and the potential impact from human activities, and climate itself, is growing at pace. This technical briefing assesses the current evidence base, providing confidence levels and options for how this might direct potential next steps. It will inform the direction of Defra’s work in the UK and internationally to identify and fill key evidence gaps collaboratively through existing and future programmes. This briefing also identifies a range of measures which could be taken to protect subtidal seabed sediment OC as a nature-based solution to climate change and highlights potential trade-offs.

AB - The evidence surrounding organic carbon (hereby referred to as “OC”) storage in subtidal seabed sediments and the potential impact from human activities, and climate itself, is growing at pace. This technical briefing assesses the current evidence base, providing confidence levels and options for how this might direct potential next steps. It will inform the direction of Defra’s work in the UK and internationally to identify and fill key evidence gaps collaboratively through existing and future programmes. This briefing also identifies a range of measures which could be taken to protect subtidal seabed sediment OC as a nature-based solution to climate change and highlights potential trade-offs.

KW - carbon

KW - sediment

KW - trawling

KW - bottom contact

KW - organic carbon

KW - climate

M3 - Commissioned report

BT - The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review

PB - Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)

ER -

The role of English seabed sediments in carbon storage, impact of human activities, environmental pressures and potential management options: Evidence review

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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Cite this