Blue Carbon Storage in Surface Sediments of Saltmarsh Ecosystems: A Snapshot from Turkiye's Aegean and Mediterranean Coasts

Blue carbon ecosystems, particularly salt marshes, occur worldwide and provide key ecosystem services - such as carbon sequestrations and carbon storage, that play a prominent role in climate change mitigation. However, the contribution of salt marsh ecosystems to global carbon stocks remains poorly understood<bold>,</bold> hindering the development of policies and management strategies to protect these organic carbon stores. To date, no studies have assessed the sediment carbon stocks in salt marsh ecosystems along T & uuml;rkiye's coast. Here, we examine sedimentary carbon stocks along T & uuml;rkiye's coastlines, focusing on 15 coastal wetlands along the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean coasts<bold>.</bold> To identify the factors controlling sediment carbon density (SCD), several sedimentary and vegetation variables, including sediment organic matter, clay fractions, %C, pH, conductivity, bulk density, and above- and below-ground plant biomass. Surface sediments (top 10 cm) was sampled in two dominant habitats: marsh areas and unvegetated tidal flats. Based on analysis of 120 sediment samples collected from 15 sites spanning both saltmarsh and tidal flat habitats, SCD across the entire dataset ranged from 0.01 to 0.2 g C cm(-)(3), values comparable to those reported for saltmarshes and other shallow coastal ecosystems worldwide. SCD was mainly influenced by sediment conductivity and below-ground biomass. Our study provides a region-specific assessment of carbon stocks across T & uuml;rkiye's salt marsh ecosystems and indicates that comparatively understudied habitats, such as tidal flats, can contribute to sediment carbon stocks at levels comparable to adjacent marshes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that both saltmarsh and tidal flats ecosystems function as significant carbon reservoirs, underscoring their importance for coastal management, conservation planning, and restoration strategies.

Dergi

ESTUARIES AND COASTS

Yıl

2026

Cilt

49

Sayı

4

ISSN

1559-2723

eISSN

1559-2731

DOI

10.1007/s12237-026-01705-6

WoS UID

WOS:001735685400001