Interdisciplinary Seminar: Jonathan Lucas

The UNC-CH Department of Marine Sciences and UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) presents a research seminar from graduate student, Jonathan Lucas. This event will be held on Monday, December 2nd, at 12:30 pm. The main location of this event will be in seminar room 222 at IMS in Morehead City, NC. The seminar will be streamed live to room G201 on the ground floor of Murray Hall on UNC-CH campus in Chapel Hill, NC and online via Zoom (Meeting ID: 252-726-6841).

Seminar Title: Will salt marshes continue to sequester blue carbon in the face of rising seas?

Abstract: Vegetated coastal habitats exhibit primary production levels among the highest of any ecosystem in the world, yet until recently their place in the global carbon cycle has remained ill-defined. Of all vegetated coastal habitats, salt marshes are the largest carbon sink, burying billions of kilograms of carbon per year. This burial rate is due to their high productivity and ability to increase elevation by accreting organic and mineral sediment. The long- term survival of many salt marshes is threatened by rising sea levels due to a changing climate, and marshes will subside and drown if accretion cannot keep up with accelerating sea level rise. This talk will examine the extent to which moderate rates of sea level rise and sufficient mineral sediment sources may allow some salt marshes to continue to persist and increase their role as a carbon sink.