Abstract
Carbon sequestration by marine biota maintains the atmospheric levels of CO2 at 200 ppm less than an abiotic ocean (Volk and Hoffert, 1985). A review is presented of the processes that control the efficiency of carbon cycling through the marine biota. This is essentially to assess the ability of the marine biota to sequester anthropogenic CO2. At present, it is not clear whether interannual variations and episodic events in biological productivity produce a net uptake of atmospheric CO2. To increase the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by the marine biota requires either increasing new production or delaying the remineralization of organic matter. Suggestions are presented on how to enhance the carbon sequestration by the marine biota.
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Wong, C.S., Matear, R.J. (1995). Carbon Sequestration by Marine Biota. In: Beran, M.A. (eds) Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere. NATO ASI Series, vol 33. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79943-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79943-3_2
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