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Physiology & Ecophysiology

Thorhaug, Anitra [1], Poulos, Helen [2], Lopez-Portillo, Jorge [3], Barr, Jordan [4], Ku, Tim C. [5], Lara-Dominquez, Analaura [6], Berlyn, Graeme [7].

Updated Gulf of Mexico Estuarine Blue Carbon Stock, Extent and Flux: Mangroves, Marshes, and Seagrasses: A North American Hotspot.

The blue carbon habitats are comprised of species of mangroves, seagrass, and marshes in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), which grow profusely chiefly in estuaries, storing substantial sedimentary organic carbon of 572.6 to 582.53 Tg C. Although our intention was to measure stock and flux from Riverine input to shelf, we have limited our integration to the new carbon investigations of buried organic carbon in Mexican mangroves, the marshes in northern GoM estuaries (especially large extent and enriched carbon storage in Louisiana) and ubiquitous seagrasses throughout the GoM to elucidate a new comparison of GoM carbon stock and portions of a flux estimate with Atlantic coastal carbon and other areas. We note the hydrospheric carbon flows from the watersheds into the GoM estuaries bring enriched carbon dioxide into the GoM basin. The mangroves’ new results demonstrate sedimentary storage of the greatest amount of carbon (277.93Tg in first meter with high variability to 2100 Mgha-1) in GoM mangroves, although seagrasses (greater than mangroves in extent) store 184.9Tg in their first meter. GoM mangroves store carbon up to 6 m in depth, so the conservative amount reported is only a fraction of the storage in the comparative top meter, whereas in full depth extent the storage would be 366.78. Marshes show highest carbon salt marsh storage in Louisiana, followed by lesser storage in Florida, Texas, Mexico, Alabama and Mississippi, and equaling total marsh stock of 109.8-119.7Tg. The southeastern Mexican mangroves, experiencing higher winter temperatures than Florida and fewer extreme storms, especially show high productivity and very deep sediment Corg storage. Partial fluxes for present new data are discussed as well as constraints on the carbon cycle of these ecosystems such as widespread anthropogenic destruction of blue carbon. Stocks with the North American Atlantic Coastal stock are compared, showing marshes dominant on the Eastern seacoast, and mangroves dominant in the Gulf of Mexico. Seagrasses are secondary carbon stocks in both coasts. These sets of investigations were first assembled at the Botanical Society of America Symposium on “Blue Carbon in the Gulf of Mexico”.


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1 - Yale University, 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, FL, 33145.0, United States
2 - Wesleyan University, College of the Environment, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA
3 - Carretera Antigua A Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, Mexico
4 - Elder Research, 300 W Main St #301, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
5 - Exley Science Center, Wesleyan Earth and Environmental Sciences, Middleton, CT, 06459, USA
6 - Instituto de EcologĂ­a, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, Mexico
7 - Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, Marsh Hall-360 PROSPECT ST, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

Keywords:
Mangrove GoM blue carbon stock
Seagrass GoM blue carbon stock
Marsh GoM blue carbon stock
Total GoM blue carbon stock
Blue carbon extent GoM
Blue carbon sequestration GoM.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 39, Ecophysiology
Location: 114/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Wednesday, July 25th, 2018
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: 39009
Abstract ID:985
Candidate for Awards:None


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