Researchers from HKUST and partner institutions found that coral reef ecosystems in the South China Sea store significant amounts of carbon, potentially rivaling other blue carbon habitats like mangroves and seagrass beds. The study highlights that sediments act as the primary carbon pool, while reef fish and corals play critical roles in transporting and fixing carbon. These findings suggest that protecting reef biodiversity is essential for maintaining long term carbon reservoirs. Degradation of these ecosystems could trigger the release of sequestered carbon back into the ocean and atmosphere, impacting global climate mitigation efforts.
