Arctic blue carbon: human and climatic drivers of change

缓解气候变化的基于自然的解决方案包括自然系统减少和埋藏碳。在陆地系统中，这一功能可以由森林来实现，这种埋藏的碳被称为绿色碳。在海洋环境中，这些碳封存和储存系统被称为蓝碳储存系统，有证据表明，在高纬度地区，大量的蓝碳储存在包括藻类沉积物和沉积物在内的系统中。这些碳可以是冰川诱导初级生产的产物[通过深水营养物质的上涌]，也可以是海洋大型植物直接产生的碳。特别是北极海岸线被峡湾淹没，然而，关于它们通过变化的气候和人为输入对碳掩埋的贡献的信息很少。了解Fjordic碳固存的这些驱动因素如何影响以前的碳埋藏率，将是预测这些碳储存系统将如何应对未来气候和土地利用变化的关键。历史上的气候变化已经被证明改变了碳埋葬，现在有证据表明，在中纬度峡湾系统，人类与环境的相互作用可以通过土地利用的变化及其对出口到周围峡湾的有机物质的影响来改变碳埋葬。在这方面，格陵兰特别重要；它面临气候变暖导致的冰川融化的风险，此外，努克[人口最多的地区]最近人口大幅增加，预计随着全球变暖的继续，人口将进一步增加。总而言之，预计的变暖和人口结构的变化可能会在未来一个世纪改变格陵兰储存库中的蓝碳埋藏。目的：该项目将量化一系列格陵兰峡湾系统(包括由大型植物、珊瑚藻类和沉积物产生的系统)在典型气候和土地利用变化下的碳固存、埋葬和再矿化的当前和历史速率和机制。这些数据将使我们能够探索格陵兰峡湾未来在不断变化的气候和日益增长的人类需求下充当有效碳汇的潜在能力。

Nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change include the drawdown and burial of carbon by natural systems. In terrestrial systems this function can be performed by forests and such buried carbon is called green carbon. In the marine environment, these carbon sequestering and storing systems are termed blue carbon stores and there is evidence that at high latitudes significant quantities of blue carbon are stored in systems including algal deposits and sediments. That carbon can be the product of glacially induced primary production [via upwelling of deeper water nutrients], but also, carbon directly produced by marine macrophytes. Arctic coastlines in particular are inundated with fjords, however, there is a paucity of information on their contributions to carbon burial through changing climates and anthropogenic inputs. Understanding how these drivers of fjordic carbon sequestration influenced previous rates of carbon burial will be key to predicting how these carbon storage systems will react to future climate and land use changes.Historic climate change has been shown to alter carbon burial and evidence is now emerging that in mid-latitude fjord systems, human interactions with their environment can alter carbon burial through changes in land use and its impact on organic material exported to the surrounding fjords. In this context Greenland is of particular importance; it is at risk of warming-driven glacial melt and also, Nuuk [the largest populated area] has shown substantial recent population increases which are projected to increase further as warming continues. Together, projected warming and changing demography may change blue carbon burial in Greenlandic repositories over the coming century.Aim: This project will quantify current and historic rates and mechanisms of carbon sequestration, burial and remineralisation at a range of Greenlandic fjord systems [including those generated by macrophytes, coralline algae and sediments] under representative climate and land use changes. These data will allow us to explore the future potential capacity of Greenland's fjords to act as efficient carbon sinks in a changing climate and with increasing anthropogenic demands.