A marine and salt marsh sediment organic carbon database for European regional seas (EURO-CARBON)

Area of Science:

• Marine science
• Geochemistry
• Environmental science

Background:

• Marine and salt marsh sediments are significant reservoirs of organic carbon (OC).
• Understanding OC distribution is vital for the global carbon cycle and climate change research.
• European regional seas are key areas for studying carbon sequestration in sediments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compile and present a comprehensive dataset of sediment organic carbon (OC) in European regional seas.
• To analyze OC content across different marine and salt marsh habitats.
• To provide a foundational resource for researchers, managers, and policymakers focused on sediment OC pools.

Main Methods:

• Collation of previously published and unpublished sediment OC measurements.
• Inclusion of complementary data such as sediment porosity and dry bulk density where available.
• Data compilation into the EURO-CARBON dataset, comprising 61,306 entries.

Main Results:

• The EURO-CARBON dataset covers diverse European regional seas, with 76% from bare sediments, 18% from salt marshes, and 7% from seagrass habitats.
• Sediment OC content ranged from <0.1% to 41.56%, with an average of 2.47%.
• OC content generally followed the trend: salt marsh (5.01%) > seagrass (2.37%) > bare sediment (1.88%).

Conclusions:

• The EURO-CARBON dataset offers a valuable resource for understanding European marine and salt marsh sediment OC.
• Findings highlight the importance of salt marshes and seagrass beds as significant OC sinks.
• This dataset will support future research and policy decisions aimed at conserving sediment carbon pools.