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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Carbon Sequestration In A Pacific Northwest Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Meadow, Katrina L. Poppe, John M. Rybczyk May 2018

Carbon Sequestration In A Pacific Northwest Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Meadow, Katrina L. Poppe, John M. Rybczyk

Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Coastal wetlands are known to be efficient carbon sinks due to high rates of primary productivity, carbon burial by mineral sediments, and low rates of sediment organic matter decomposition. Of the three coastal wetland types: tidal marshes, tidal forests, and seagrass meadows, carbon burial by seagrasses is relatively under-studied, and reported rates range widely from 45 to 190 g C m-2 yr-1. Additionally, most of these seagrass rates are biased toward tropical and subtropical species, particularly Posidonia oceanica, with few focused on Zostera marina, the most widespread species in the northern hemisphere. We measured sediment …


Blue Carbon: Port Of Seattle’S Kelp, Eelgrass And Shellfish Enhancement Pilot Project, Jon Sloan Apr 2018

Blue Carbon: Port Of Seattle’S Kelp, Eelgrass And Shellfish Enhancement Pilot Project, Jon Sloan

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Port of Seattle is working to become carbon neutral by 2050. In addition to reducing emissions, the Port’s strategy includes enhancing carbon sequestration through habitat restoration. To that end, the Port completed a study in 2017 to quantify sequestration benefits associated with different land cover and habitat types found in the Duwamish River estuary and Elliott Bay, including riparian forest, marsh, mudflat, eelgrass and kelp beds. The review determined that kelp and eelgrass – so called “blue carbon” – provide highly significant sequestration benefits. In fact, they sequester more carbon than almost any other habitat type in the world. …


Hydrodynamic Regime Determines The Magnitude Of Surface Sediment 'Blue Carbon' Stocks In British Columbia Eelgrass Meadows, Carolyn Prentice, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Rhea Sanders-Smith, Anne K. Salomon Apr 2018

Hydrodynamic Regime Determines The Magnitude Of Surface Sediment 'Blue Carbon' Stocks In British Columbia Eelgrass Meadows, Carolyn Prentice, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Rhea Sanders-Smith, Anne K. Salomon

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Carbon storage in marine vegetated habitats (blue carbon) is increasingly being considered in carbon financing and coastal ecosystem management. Amongst other ecosystem functions, seagrass meadows are reported to be highly efficient at sequestering and storing significant amounts of carbon. However, seagrass blue carbon data remain sparse and regionally biased to tropical regions. In the Pacific Northwest, we lack information on the magnitude and variability of carbon stocks, as well as local drivers of variability. We collected sediment cores from six eelgrass meadows on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada, to quantify sedimentary organic carbon (Corg) stocks and accumulation rates. …


Examining Sources Of Sediment Carbon Stored In Seagrass Habitats Across The Skagit Delta And Padilla Bay, Erin Murray Apr 2018

Examining Sources Of Sediment Carbon Stored In Seagrass Habitats Across The Skagit Delta And Padilla Bay, Erin Murray

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The potential for seagrass (Zostera marina) habitats to store carbon is a topic of interest to resource managers and ecosystem scientists as they strive to develop and evaluate climate change mitigation strategies. I investigated the sources of carbon and nitrogen stored in Zostera marina habitats within the Salish Sea. I compared two sites, the Skagit River delta (delta) and Padilla Bay (embayment), in order to compare carbon storage and the sources of stored carbon between these two shoreline types. Within each site, I collected sediment cores in Z. marina meadows and on unvegetated mudflat. I measured changes in carbon density …


A Search For Blue Carbon In Central Salish Sea Eelgrass Meadows, Mira D. (Mira Diana) Lutz Jan 2018

A Search For Blue Carbon In Central Salish Sea Eelgrass Meadows, Mira D. (Mira Diana) Lutz

WWU Graduate School Collection

This study quantified eelgrass (Zostera marina) sediment organic carbon and carbon sequestration rates in Skagit County,Wa, in sites likely to support organic content and sediment accretion, the key components for carbon sequestration. These data may inform eelgrass-specific projects aimed at mitigating climate change through the protection and restoration of “blue carbon” ecosystems. Blue carbon is the carbon stored or emitted by coastal wetlands, which have the capacity to sequester more organic carbon (OC) than equivalent areas of mature forest. This study follows recent research from a single site within Padilla Bay, Wa. (Padilla transect), reporting OC stock approximately three times …