Coastal wetlands: are our valuable carbon sinks vulnerable?

滨海盐碱地储存了大量的碳，可能是自然生态系统中最有效的碳汇。该项目将使用同位素示踪剂来量化澳大利亚东南部沿海盐碱地湿地内的碳保留量，通过对沉积物堆积和地表海拔变化的估计来确定这些湿地对海平面上升的脆弱性，并使用这些信息来预测盐碱地沿海湿地的分布，并估计低碳经济下沿海湿地的碳固存潜力。该项目将消除对滨海盐碱地进行适当经济评估的障碍，并使滨海湿地得以恢复，以抵消碳排放。

Saline coastal wetlands store large amounts of carbon and are potentially the most efficient sinks of carbon amongst natural ecosystems. This project will use isotopic tracers to quantify carbon retention within saline coastal wetlands in southeastern Australia, establish the vulnerability of these wetlands to sea-level rise using estimates of sediment accretion and surface elevation change, and use this information to predict the distribution of saline coastal wetlands and estimate the carbon sequestration potential of coastal wetlands within a ‘low-carbon economy’. This project will remove impediments to the proper economic evaluation of saline coastal wetlands and enable restoration coastal wetlands to be used to offset carbon emissions.