A new flux tower has been installed at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth to measure how much carbon the saltmarsh absorbs. It is the first such tower on a saltmarsh in Scotland and the most northerly in a UK network run by UKCEH, NatureScot, the Scottish government and WWF-UK. Saltmarshes store carbon in plants and sediment, but most UK sites have been lost to land reclamation, pollution and rising seas. The real-time data will help decide whether saltmarsh carbon counts in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which could shift how these habitats are funded and protected. The site also provides flood protection and habitat for migratory birds and rare species.
