Skip to main content
Home

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
  • Cymraeg
My country:

Main Menu

    • Study Options
      • Study Home
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Undergraduate Study
      • Postgraduate Taught Study
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Part-time Courses
      • January Start Courses
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study Abroad
      • Work Experience
    • Study Advice
      • Apply
      • Already Applied?
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Get Ready for University
    • Explore Bangor
      • Open Days and Visits
      • Virtual Student Experience

    Find a Course

    Order a Prospectus

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Accommodation
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad
      • Exchanges

    Country Specific Information

    Join us on a Virtual Open Day

    Bangor University International College

    Covid-19 Information

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Energy
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development
    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Review
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • Vice Chancellor’s Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
      • Management and Governance
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
      • Funding for Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) & Innovation
      • Business Facilities and Networks
      • Consultancy, Specialist Expertise and Knowledge
      • Commercialisation and Intellectual Property (IP)
      • Student Placements and Internships in Business & Enterprise
      • Training and Continuing Professional Development
      • Degree Apprenticeships
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Contacts
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Get In Touch
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events

    • Study Options
      • Study Home
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Undergraduate Study
      • Postgraduate Taught Study
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Part-time Courses
      • January Start Courses
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study Abroad
      • Work Experience
    • Study Advice
      • Apply
      • Already Applied?
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Get Ready for University
    • Explore Bangor
      • Virtual Open Days and Visits
      • Virtual Student Experience

    Find a Course

    Order a Prospectus

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad
      • Exchanges

    Country Specific Information

    Join us on a Virtual Open Day

    Bangor University International College

    Covid-19 Information

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Energy
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development
    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Review
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • Vice Chancellor’s Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Health and Wellbeing
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
      • Management and Governance
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
      • Funding for Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) & Innovation
      • Business Facilities and Networks
      • Consultancy, Specialist Expertise and Knowledge
      • Commercialisation and Intellectual Property (IP)
      • Student Placements and Internships in Business & Enterprise
      • Training and Continuing Professional Development
      • Degree Apprenticeships
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Contacts
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Get In Touch
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
My country:

Search

Close

Breadcrumb

  • Cymraeg

Share this page:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Climate-changing carbon loss from mangroves preventable - say Bangor scientists

Mangroves store huge amounts of carbon in their soils.Mangroves store huge amounts of carbon in their soils.The release of dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases from mangrove swamps could be halted, claim scientists.

A team of researchers, led by Bangor University, say they have the potential to stop climate-changing amounts of gases, such as carbon dioxide, from leaving tropical mangroves if they are damaged or cut-down.

Currently mangroves, which are unique forests found along the coast around the equator, store huge amounts of carbon in their soils.

It's feared that deforestation and climate change may damage these fragile ecosystems causing the release of this carbon - much of it as carbon dioxide, a well-known greenhouse gas.

In a rare collaboration, two of the world's leading wetland scientists joined forces to look at the problem - Prof Chris Freeman, from Bangor University and Prof Bill Mitsch, from Florida Gulf Coast University.

The researchers were by Saraswati, an international student from India on Bangor University’s unique Wetland Science and Conservation MSc degree run by Dr Christian Dunn.

TThe natural processes keeping carbon locked away in some of the mangrove soils are almost exactly the same as those found in other wetlands, such as the fens and bogs of north Wales. The natural processes keeping carbon locked away in some of the mangrove soils are almost exactly the same as those found in other wetlands, such as the fens and bogs of north Wales. he group found that the natural processes keeping the carbon locked away in some of the mangrove soils are almost exactly the same as those found in other wetlands, such as the fens and bogs of north Wales.

Knowing this will now allow the scientists to transfer decades of knowledge on the soils of these well-studied habitats to mangroves.

Crucially this involves aspects of bio-geoengineering - modifying our landscapes and ecosystems to capture and store more carbon in a bid to fight climate change.

Explaining the potential of their research, Prof Freeman said: "We've been experimenting with ways of increasing the amounts of carbon in wetland soils for a while now, but never mangroves”.

"Now we know the microbial activities and processes in mangrove soils are similar to those we've been looking at we can start working out ways to prevent the loss of carbon from those too”.

"This is vital because although mangroves are incredibly important stores of carbon they are constantly being damaged by human activities and our changing climate.”

"If the trees and plants are removed from a mangrove swamp, for whatever reason, it doesn't take long for the soil they were growing in to decompose - releasing greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide."

"However, if we could treat the soil - using some of our tested techniques - then we could prevent this loss and allow the regrowth of the mangrove trees; preventing millions of tonnes of carbon from being emitted to the atmosphere.”

"It's wonderful to think that the work we've been doing on the bogs of Snowdonia could affect the management of mangrove swamps in Florida and Indonesia - and it will certainly mean we'll be warmer during fieldwork," Prof Freeman added.

The team's findings have now been published and work will continue; both in the field at Florida and in the laboratories at Bangor University by Wetland Science and Conservation MSc students.

Publication date: 9 June 2016

Home

About Us

Academic Schools and Colleges

  • School of Natural Sciences
    • Home
    • About the School
      • Our Location
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Commercial Facilities
      • Our Staff
      • Teaching
      • Athena Swan
    • Our Staff
    • Key Subjects
      • Biology
      • Conservation
      • Food Security
      • Environment
      • Forestry
      • Geography
      • Zoology
    • Undergraduate Study
      • Order a prospectus
      • University Open Days
      • Offer Holder Days
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Accommodation
      • Get ready for University
      • Student Life
      • Scholarships & Bursaries
      • Fees & Finances
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Our Videos
      • What our Students say
    • Postgraduate Study
      • Why study with us?
      • Register your interest in postgraduate study
      • Fees & Finances
      • Scholarships & Funding
      • Entry requirements
      • Applying to Bangor
      • Accommodation
      • Student Support
      • Student Life
      • Studying at Bangor
      • Student Profiles
    • Order a Prospectus
    • Open Days
    • Distance Learning
      • About us
      • Our Courses
      • Teaching and Learning
      • What our students say...
      • Our Videos
      • Careers and Employability
      • How to Apply
      • Course Structure
      • Publications and News
      • Fees
      • Entry Requirements
      • Contact details
    • Professional Accreditation
    • Our Research
      • Biology and Zoology
        • Molecular Ecology and Evolution
        • Biogeochemistry and Plant Science
        • Animal Physiology, Behaviour and Conservation
        • Microbiology, Parasitology and Biotechnology
        • Research degrees
      • Environment and Natural Resources
        • Research Students
        • Opportunities
        • Project websites
        • Facilities
        • Partners and Collaborators
    • Outreach activities
      • Chemistry
        • Salters Events
        • Welsh and English Interactive Periodic Table
    • News
    • Opportunities
    • Contact us
Home

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

Bangor University

Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, UK

+44 (0)1248 351151

Contact Us

Visit Us

Maps & Directions

Policy

  • Legal Compliance
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015 Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy and Cookies
  • Welsh Language Policy
Map

Bangor University is a Registered Charity: No. 1141565

© 2020 Bangor University