Scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) are measuring how groundwater flows from the land into Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. They want to understand if the nutrients and carbon carried by this freshwater help seaweeds grow faster and store more carbon when their foliage gets buried on the ocean floor. The team collected samples from 33 groundwater sources and 54 ocean surface sites, using radon to trace where the groundwater reaches the reef. This work is part of the larger Blue Carbon Seascapes project, jointly funded by AIMS and BHP. If groundwater pathways deliver enough nutrients to fuel seasonal seaweed growth, the resulting carbon burial could lock carbon away for hundreds to thousands of years. The data will help local managers protect natural nutrient flows that support the reef and contribute to blue carbon storage in marine soils.
