New research from the University of Exeter suggests that rising sea levels may cause mangrove forests to drown, potentially turning these critical carbon sinks into sources of carbon emissions. While some local areas might see temporary increases in storage, the overall forest scale is expected to decline over the next century. The study uses a combined model of water flow, sediment transport, and plant growth to show how excessive flooding leads to plant dieback and soil erosion. This process threatens the stability of blue carbon stocks and highlights the risk of large scale carbon release as coastal ecosystems fail to keep pace with rising oceans.
