Journal
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Volume 14, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37854-6
Keywords
-
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The sequestration of organic carbon in seafloor sediments plays a key role in regulating global climate. Here, the authors present an assessment of organic carbon disturbance related to the globally-extensive subsea telecommunications cable network.
The sequestration of organic carbon in seafloor sediments plays a key role in regulating global climate. Here, the authors present an assessment of organic carbon disturbance related to the globally-extensive subsea telecommunications cable network. The sequestration of organic carbon in seafloor sediments plays a key role in regulating global climate; however, human activities can disturb previously-sequestered carbon stocks, potentially reducing the capacity of the ocean to store CO2. Recent studies revealed profound seafloor impacts and sedimentary carbon loss due to fishing and shipping, yet most other human activities in the ocean have been overlooked. Here, we present an assessment of organic carbon disturbance related to the globally-extensive subsea telecommunications cable network. Up to 2.82-11.26 Mt of organic carbon worldwide has been disturbed as a result of cable burial, in water depths of up to 2000 m. While orders of magnitude lower than that disturbed by bottom fishing, it is a non-trivial amount that is absent from global budgets. Future offshore developments that disturb the seafloor should consider the safeguarding of carbon stocks, across the full spectrum of Blue Economy industries.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available