Maerl bed carbon and climate change

Coralline algal beds (maerl beds) store significant carbon derived both locally and from other organic carbon donors (e.g. kelp and seagrass). While we have an improving understanding of their function in carbon sequestration and storage at the individual bed level, there is a paucity of information on storage across Scottish beds in both space and time. Our research uses a variety of geochemical techniques to investigate how the ability of coralline algae to sequester carbon varies across Scotland but also in the future under a range of climate scenarios. This will enable us to understand carbon sequestration and storage processes across Scotland both now and in the future.