Carbon dynamics across coastal seascapes

The links between coastal habitats and GHG emissions are vastly understudied. First results from a recent research cruise by SU scientists onboard R/V Electra in the Tvärminne area, where state-of-the art techniques were used to continuously monitor CO2 well as CH4 concentrations in the water column, indicate that the GHG inventories and related CO2 and CH4 emissions are an order of magnitude higher than in open Baltic Sea. The near shore coastal habitats clearly act as a hot spot of GHG emission, which has not been accounted for in previous carbon budgets for the Baltic Sea. Not only do these measurements help us parametrise carbon flow for model development, but they also provide new information on the role of coastal habitats for global budgets of GHG. In the proposed project we will address GHG emissions and their temporal and spatial context-dependence in coastal waters.