Scientists from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and other UK institutions are running the SeaSTORE project in the Irish Sea to measure what happens to seabed carbon when trawlers disturb it. The team is following fishing vessels directly, tracking carbon from the seafloor through the water column to see if it reaches the atmosphere as CO2. This is one of the first studies to do real-world measurements during active trawling, filling a critical evidence gap. Earlier research estimated that seabed trawling could release as much as 370 million tonnes of CO2 per year, but that number is uncertain. SeaSTORE aims to clarify how much carbon actually escapes, how gear type and trawling frequency matter, and whether changes in fishing practices could reduce emissions. The results will be shared with Defra to inform policy on net zero, biodiversity, and food security.
