Research shows saltmarshes are significant carbon store

SALTMARSHES are “significant” carbon stores, but are at risk from rising sea levels, new research reveals.

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A report from conservation charity WWF in partnership with insurance giant Aviva highlights the important role of saltmarshes around the UK’s coasts in tackling climate change and protecting coastal communities.

The report reveals findings from a solar-powered “carbon flux tower”, funded by Aviva, which measures the exchange of key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide between the air and the saltmarsh on the Ribble Estuary, Lancashire.

It is a technique already used to monitor carbon capture and releases in other vital habitats such as woodlands and peatlands, but has now been adapted and applied to saltmarsh, with the Ribble Estuary producing the first results from a new network of towers.