Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences
A carbon budget for the northwest European continental shelf seas (NWES) was synthesized using available estimates for coastal, pelagic and benthic carbon stocks and flows. Key uncertainties were identified and the effect of future impacts on the carbon budget were assessed. The water of the shelf s...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-03-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00143/full |
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doaj-7083a0db86b94e44a7f93b2cb13449f6 |
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Article |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Oliver Legge Martin Johnson Martin Johnson Martin Johnson Natalie Hicks Tim Jickells Markus Diesing John Aldridge Julian Andrews Yuri Artioli Dorothee C. E. Bakker Michael T. Burrows Nealy Carr Gemma Cripps Stacey L. Felgate Liam Fernand Naomi Greenwood Susan Hartman Silke Kröger Gennadi Lessin Claire Mahaffey Daniel J. Mayor Ruth Parker Ana M. Queirós Jamie D. Shutler Tiago Silva Henrik Stahl Jonathan Tinker Graham J. C. Underwood Johan Van Der Molen Sarah Wakelin Keith Weston Phillip Williamson Phillip Williamson |
spellingShingle |
Oliver Legge Martin Johnson Martin Johnson Martin Johnson Natalie Hicks Tim Jickells Markus Diesing John Aldridge Julian Andrews Yuri Artioli Dorothee C. E. Bakker Michael T. Burrows Nealy Carr Gemma Cripps Stacey L. Felgate Liam Fernand Naomi Greenwood Susan Hartman Silke Kröger Gennadi Lessin Claire Mahaffey Daniel J. Mayor Ruth Parker Ana M. Queirós Jamie D. Shutler Tiago Silva Henrik Stahl Jonathan Tinker Graham J. C. Underwood Johan Van Der Molen Sarah Wakelin Keith Weston Phillip Williamson Phillip Williamson Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences Frontiers in Marine Science carbon marine coastal shelf biogeochemistry budget |
author_facet |
Oliver Legge Martin Johnson Martin Johnson Martin Johnson Natalie Hicks Tim Jickells Markus Diesing John Aldridge Julian Andrews Yuri Artioli Dorothee C. E. Bakker Michael T. Burrows Nealy Carr Gemma Cripps Stacey L. Felgate Liam Fernand Naomi Greenwood Susan Hartman Silke Kröger Gennadi Lessin Claire Mahaffey Daniel J. Mayor Ruth Parker Ana M. Queirós Jamie D. Shutler Tiago Silva Henrik Stahl Jonathan Tinker Graham J. C. Underwood Johan Van Der Molen Sarah Wakelin Keith Weston Phillip Williamson Phillip Williamson |
author_sort |
Oliver Legge |
title |
Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences |
title_short |
Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences |
title_full |
Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences |
title_fullStr |
Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences |
title_full_unstemmed |
Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future Influences |
title_sort |
carbon on the northwest european shelf: contemporary budget and future influences |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
issn |
2296-7745 |
publishDate |
2020-03-01 |
description |
A carbon budget for the northwest European continental shelf seas (NWES) was synthesized using available estimates for coastal, pelagic and benthic carbon stocks and flows. Key uncertainties were identified and the effect of future impacts on the carbon budget were assessed. The water of the shelf seas contains between 210 and 230 Tmol of carbon and absorbs between 1.3 and 3.3 Tmol from the atmosphere annually. Off-shelf transport and burial in the sediments account for 60–100 and 0–40% of carbon outputs from the NWES, respectively. Both of these fluxes remain poorly constrained by observations and resolving their magnitudes and relative importance is a key research priority. Pelagic and benthic carbon stocks are dominated by inorganic carbon. Shelf sediments contain the largest stock of carbon, with between 520 and 1600 Tmol stored in the top 0.1 m of the sea bed. Coastal habitats such as salt marshes and mud flats contain large amounts of carbon per unit area but their total carbon stocks are small compared to pelagic and benthic stocks due to their smaller spatial extent. The large pelagic stock of carbon will continue to increase due to the rising concentration of atmospheric CO2, with associated pH decrease. Pelagic carbon stocks and flows are also likely to be significantly affected by increasing acidity and temperature, and circulation changes but the net impact is uncertain. Benthic carbon stocks will be affected by increasing temperature and acidity, and decreasing oxygen concentrations, although the net impact of these interrelated changes on carbon stocks is uncertain and a major knowledge gap. The impact of bottom trawling on benthic carbon stocks is unique amongst the impacts we consider in that it is widespread and also directly manageable, although its net effect on the carbon budget is uncertain. Coastal habitats are vulnerable to sea level rise and are strongly impacted by management decisions. Local, national and regional actions have the potential to protect or enhance carbon storage, but ultimately global governance, via controls on emissions, has the greatest potential to influence the long-term fate of carbon stocks in the northwestern European continental shelf. |
topic |
carbon marine coastal shelf biogeochemistry budget |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00143/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
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doaj-7083a0db86b94e44a7f93b2cb13449f62020-11-25T02:10:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452020-03-01710.3389/fmars.2020.00143472547Carbon on the Northwest European Shelf: Contemporary Budget and Future InfluencesOliver Legge0Martin Johnson1Martin Johnson2Martin Johnson3Natalie Hicks4Tim Jickells5Markus Diesing6John Aldridge7Julian Andrews8Yuri Artioli9Dorothee C. E. Bakker10Michael T. Burrows11Nealy Carr12Gemma Cripps13Stacey L. Felgate14Liam Fernand15Naomi Greenwood16Susan Hartman17Silke Kröger18Gennadi Lessin19Claire Mahaffey20Daniel J. Mayor21Ruth Parker22Ana M. Queirós23Jamie D. Shutler24Tiago Silva25Henrik Stahl26Jonathan Tinker27Graham J. C. Underwood28Johan Van Der Molen29Sarah Wakelin30Keith Weston31Phillip Williamson32Phillip Williamson33Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United KingdomCentre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United KingdomBantry Marine Research Station, Bantry, IrelandSchool of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomCentre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United KingdomGeological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, NorwayCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United KingdomPlymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United KingdomCentre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United KingdomScottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, United KingdomEarth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom0National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United Kingdom0National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United KingdomPlymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United KingdomEarth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom0National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United KingdomPlymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom1Centre for Geography and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United Kingdom2College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates3Met Office, Exeter, United KingdomSchool of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom4Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Utrecht University, Texel, Netherlands5National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom6Natural Environment Research Council, Swindon, United KingdomA carbon budget for the northwest European continental shelf seas (NWES) was synthesized using available estimates for coastal, pelagic and benthic carbon stocks and flows. Key uncertainties were identified and the effect of future impacts on the carbon budget were assessed. The water of the shelf seas contains between 210 and 230 Tmol of carbon and absorbs between 1.3 and 3.3 Tmol from the atmosphere annually. Off-shelf transport and burial in the sediments account for 60–100 and 0–40% of carbon outputs from the NWES, respectively. Both of these fluxes remain poorly constrained by observations and resolving their magnitudes and relative importance is a key research priority. Pelagic and benthic carbon stocks are dominated by inorganic carbon. Shelf sediments contain the largest stock of carbon, with between 520 and 1600 Tmol stored in the top 0.1 m of the sea bed. Coastal habitats such as salt marshes and mud flats contain large amounts of carbon per unit area but their total carbon stocks are small compared to pelagic and benthic stocks due to their smaller spatial extent. The large pelagic stock of carbon will continue to increase due to the rising concentration of atmospheric CO2, with associated pH decrease. Pelagic carbon stocks and flows are also likely to be significantly affected by increasing acidity and temperature, and circulation changes but the net impact is uncertain. Benthic carbon stocks will be affected by increasing temperature and acidity, and decreasing oxygen concentrations, although the net impact of these interrelated changes on carbon stocks is uncertain and a major knowledge gap. The impact of bottom trawling on benthic carbon stocks is unique amongst the impacts we consider in that it is widespread and also directly manageable, although its net effect on the carbon budget is uncertain. Coastal habitats are vulnerable to sea level rise and are strongly impacted by management decisions. Local, national and regional actions have the potential to protect or enhance carbon storage, but ultimately global governance, via controls on emissions, has the greatest potential to influence the long-term fate of carbon stocks in the northwestern European continental shelf.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00143/fullcarbonmarinecoastalshelfbiogeochemistrybudget |