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Mangroves, a major source of dissolved organic carbon to the oceans
Author(s) -
Dittmar Thorsten,
Hertkorn Norbert,
Kattner Gerhard,
Lara Rubén J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2005gb002570
Subject(s) - mangrove , dissolved organic carbon , biogeochemical cycle , environmental science , carbon cycle , terrigenous sediment , oceanography , blue carbon , total organic carbon , environmental chemistry , carbon fibers , isotopes of carbon , carbon dioxide , geology , carbon sequestration , ecosystem , ecology , chemistry , geochemistry , materials science , composite number , composite material , biology , sedimentary rock
Organic matter, which is dissolved in low concentrations in the vast waters of the oceans, contains a total amount of carbon similar to atmospheric carbon dioxide. To understand global biogeochemical cycles, it is crucial to quantify the sources of marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We investigated the impact of mangroves, the dominant intertidal vegetation of the tropics, on marine DOC inventories. Stable carbon isotopes and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that mangroves are the main source of terrigenous DOC in the open ocean off northern Brazil. Sunlight efficiently destroyed aromatic molecules during transport offshore, removing about one third of mangrove‐derived DOC. The remainder was refractory and may thus be distributed over the oceans. On a global scale, we estimate that mangroves account for >10% of the terrestrially derived, refractory DOC transported to the ocean, while they cover only <0.1% of the continents' surface.