Antarctic krill sequester similar amounts of carbon to key coastal blue carbon habitats

Cavan, E.L.; Mackay, N.; Hill, S.L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1441-8769; Atkinson, A.; Belcher, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9583-5910; Visser, A.. 2024 Antarctic krill sequester similar amounts of carbon to key coastal blue carbon habitats. Nature Communications, 15, 7842. 10, pp. 10.1038/s41467-024-52135-6

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Official URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52135-6

Abstract/Summary

The carbon sequestration potential of open-ocean pelagic ecosystems is vastly under-reported compared to coastal vegetation ‘blue carbon’ systems. Here we show that just a single pelagic harvested species, Antarctic krill, sequesters a similar amount of carbon through its sinking faecal pellets as marshes, mangroves and seagrass. Due to their massive population biomass, fast-sinking faecal pellets and the modest depths that pellets need to reach to achieve sequestration (mean is 381 m), Antarctic krill faecal pellets sequester 20 MtC per productive season (spring to early Autumn). This is equates USD$ 4 − 46 billion depending on the price of carbon, with krill pellet carbon stored for at least 100 years and with some reaching as far as the North Pacific. Antarctic krill are being impacted by rapid polar climate change and an expanding fishery, thus krill populations and their habitat warrant protection to preserve this valuable carbon sink.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/s41467-024-52135-6
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2041-1723
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	blue carbon, Antarctic krill, faecal pellets, ecosystem services, biological carbon pump
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Marine Sciences
Related URLs:	Dataset Dataset Other
Date made live:	12 Sep 2024 09:43 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/535854

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1038/s41467-024-52135-6

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

2041-1723

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

blue carbon, Antarctic krill, faecal pellets, ecosystem services, biological carbon pump