Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss

Johannes R. Krause (), Clint Cameron, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara, Steve Crooks, Martin Dahl, Daniel A. Friess, Hilary Kennedy, Kiah Eng Lim, Catherine E. Lovelock, Núria Marbà, Karen J. McGlathery, Matthew P. J. Oreska, Emily Pidgeon, Oscar Serrano, Mathew A. Vanderklift, Lynn-Wei Wong, Siti Maryam Yaakub and James W. Fourqurean
Additional contact information
Johannes R. Krause: Florida International University
Clint Cameron: University of Queensland
Ariane Arias-Ortiz: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Miguel Cifuentes-Jara: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Steve Crooks: Silvestrum Climate Associates
Martin Dahl: Södertörn University
Daniel A. Friess: Tulane University
Hilary Kennedy: Bangor University
Kiah Eng Lim: National University of Singapore
Catherine E. Lovelock: University of Queensland
Núria Marbà: Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB)
Karen J. McGlathery: University of Virginia
Matthew P. J. Oreska: University of Virginia
Emily Pidgeon: Conservation International
Oscar Serrano: Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB-CSIC)
Mathew A. Vanderklift: Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre
Lynn-Wei Wong: National University of Singapore
Siti Maryam Yaakub: Conservation International
James W. Fourqurean: Florida International University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Seagrass ecosystems are recognized for their capacity to sequester and store organic carbon, but there is large variability in soil organic carbon stocks associated with plant traits and environmental conditions, making the quantification and scaling of carbon storage and fluxes needed to contribute to climate change mitigation highly challenging. Here, we provide estimates of carbon stocks associated with seagrass systems (biomass and soil) through analyses of a comprehensive global database including 2700+ seagrass soil cores. The median global soil Corg stock estimate is 24.2 (12.4 – 44.9) Mg Corg ha−1 in the top 30 cm of soil, 27% lower than estimates from previous global syntheses, refining the IPCC Tier 1 soil Corg stock currently used for carbon accounting in places without local data. We estimate that seagrass carbon stocks at risk of degradation could emit 1,154 Tg (665 – 1699) CO2 with a social cost of $213 billion (2020 US dollars), if no action is taken to conserve these habitats.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59204-4

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