Mangroves are important for carbon sequestration in coastal ecosystems, yet no study has investigated carbon accumulation patterns through growth models across mangrove tree classes in Bangladesh. A comprehensive field study was conducted to evaluate the carbon dynamics of different tree classes according to Kraft system–dominant (>8 m height, >15 cm DBH, upper canopy), average (4–8 m height, 8–15 cm DBH, middle canopy), and overtopped (<4 m height, <8 cm DBH, squeezed canopy)–across a 35-year chronosequence in mangrove plantations. Three growth models – Gompertz, Logistic and Richards, were applied to express the carbon accumulation trajectories, and the best-fit model was selected based on high R2 and low AICc values. The results indicated that the Gompertz model was the best fit for the dominant mangrove class, following an asymmetric trail (R2=0.988, AICc=39.05, carbon accumulation=2.46 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). A symmetric Logistic trajectory was followed by biomass carbon of the average tree class (R2=0.949, AICc=17.46, asymptote=11.5 Mg C ha−1). However, the biomass carbon of overtopped trees and soil carbon were not dependent on plantation age (R2≤0.05). Ecosystem carbon also followed an asymmetric Gompertz trajectory, similar to the dominant tree class (R2=0.963, AICc=47.91, asymptote=169.1 Mg C ha−1). Spatially, ecosystem carbon varied among mangrove plantation zones, with the highest carbon stored by the eastern coast (279.9 Mg C ha−1) followed by the central (175.2 Mg C ha−1) and present study sites (western side; 65.9 Mg C ha−1). The growth models performed well at the present study sites (western Sundarbans) but indicated a poor fit for carbon growth in central and eastern mangrove plantations (R2≤0.65). Thus, the Gompertz model should be applied cautiously and with site-specific calibration. We advocate class-stratified carbon accounting, adaptive thinning, and zone-specific modeling as essential measures to improve plantation carbon performance across the heterogeneous Sundarbans landscape and to ensure robust projections under climate mitigation frameworks.

Mangroves of the Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific is a regional ecosystem subgroup (level 4 unit of the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology). It includes intertidal forests and shrublands of the marine ecoregions of the East China Sea, that extend across China, Taiwan and South Korea. The Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific mangrove province mapped extent in 2023 was 6.83 km2, representing 0.0038% of the global mangrove area. This ecoregion is characteriszed by four species of true mangroves, plus many associated taxa. Kandalia obovata is the dominant mangrove species, while Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, and Excoecaria agallocha are only observed sparsely. The Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific mangroves are mainly scattered estuarine formations. Today the Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific mangroves covers 93% more area than our broad estimation for 1970. The mangrove area of Taiwan has increased by 253% since 1976. The mangrove area of Zhejiang, China has increased 48 times since 1957. Furthermore, under a high sea-level rise scenario (IPCC RCP 8.5) ≈-0.4% of the Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific mangroves would be submerged by 2060. Moreover, 18.2% of the province’s mangrove ecosystem is undergoing degradation, with the potential to increase to 42.8% within a 50-year period, based on a vegetation index decay analysis. Overall, the Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific mangrove ecosystem is assessed as Least Concern (LC)

Blue carbon ecosystems, classically defined as mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses, but increasingly expanded to include ecosystems such as tidal flats, macroalgal forests and shelf sediments, contribute to climate change mitigation and biodiversity support. Here, seven years after the last global assessment of research priorities, we conducted a priority-setting exercise to identify persistent knowledge and implementation gaps, and the strategic priorities that must be addressed to enable scalable, high-integrity and equitable management of blue carbon ecosystems in a rapidly evolving policy and finance landscape. The highest priority focuses on managing blue carbon ecosystems to support coastal communities while integrating traditional ecological knowledge, emphasizing the essential role of social legitimacy and equity in enabling scalable, long-lasting outcomes. Additional priorities focus on developing cost-effective restoration methods, improving the accuracy of greenhouse gas flux estimates, quantifying the impacts of human activities on carbon cycling and integrating co-benefits such as biodiversity and coastal protection into natural capital frameworks. Emerging technologies like remote sensing, machine learning and data-sharing platforms are also highlighted as transformative tools to fill knowledge gaps and scale solutions. Collectively, these priorities highlight the complexity of blue carbon science and the need for inclusive interdisciplinary approaches that support the resilience and livelihoods of coastal communities.

Blue carbon ecosystems are critical for climate mitigation, yet their persistence is threatened by global coastal erosion. Conservation strategies often rely on observing shoreline retreat as an indicator of ecosystem vulnerability, implicitly assuming geomorphic stability ensures carbon retention. Here we show that the functional collapse of tidal marsh carbon sinks can occur significantly before physical retreat becomes evident. Combining field evidence from the dynamic Jiangsu coast with process-based modelling, we reveal that fringing effects (i.e., intense hydro-geomorphic disturbances that trigger cascading feedback) drive an unexpected transition from carbon sink to source where carbon losses outpace burial (up to 119%). Crucially, we identify a lag of months to a decade between marsh retreat and the sink–source transition, suggesting that apparent biogeomorphic stability masks a growing climate debt. Global carbon budgets may overestimate coastal storage and effective management requires pre-emptive action prior to development of a net local source. Functional collapse of tidal marsh carbon sinks can occur significantly before evident physical retreat, according to measured field data from Jiangsu, China, combined with process-based modelling.

Spartina alterniflora (hereafter S. alterniflora), an exotic saltmarsh species, was introduced into intertidal flats of China in 1979 for its remarkable utility in hydrodynamic attenuation to protect the coasts. Against a background of national-scale removal of S. alterniflora along Chinese coasts, it is essential to investigate whether native saltmarsh species could provide a similar coastal protection function as the exotic one, particularly for coasts with great coastal defense pressure. Here, the hydrodynamic turbulence attenuation and sediment capture abilities of the native species Scirpus mariqueter (hereafter S. mariqueter) and S. alterniflora were compared through in situ observation in a typical macro-tidal estuary, Hangzhou Bay, China. Our results revealed that the turbulence attenuation by S. mariqueter and S. alterniflora varied with inundation depth and wave-current interactions. Under wave-dominated conditions, S. mariqueter had a turbulence dissipation rate of 0.04 J m(-4). This rate increased by approximately one order of magnitude under coupled wave-current conditions but remained one-third lower than that of S. alterniflora. Notably, the turbulence dissipation rate of S. mariqueter increased to three times that of S. alterniflora during the emergent stage. Nevertheless, sediment capture by S. mariqueter was only half that of S. alterniflora, primarily attributed to a greater tendency for sediment resuspension. This study suggested that short, flexible native saltmarsh species such as S. mariqueter alone are insufficient to restore the coastal protection capacity lost following the removal of S. alterniflora, necessitating the strategic introduction of other relatively tall and rigid native species to enhance coastal resilience.

Mangrove pneumatophores provide unique habitats for algal assemblages, but previous research has mainly focused on macroalgae rather than microalgae. The variations among plant species and substrates on pneumatophores have also seldom been studied. The present study aimed to compare epiphytic microalgal communities on two substrates (adhered soil and pneumatophore itself) and two vertical segments (upper and lower) of pneumatophores in three mangrove species. Epiphytic microalgae varied between substrates and segments, with higher abundances in adhered soil than on pneumatophore itself and higher species richness on the lower than on the upper segment along a pneumatophore. The distribution of microalgal species differed between segments, with Ankistrodesmus spiralis exclusively observed on the upper segment of pneumatophore itself, although Oscillatoria was generally the most abundant genus in all microhabitats. On both substrates and segments, the diversity of microalgae in Sonneratia caseolaris was higher than that in Avicennia marina and S. apetala, with enriched Nitzschia sigma in S. caseolaris but Hydrosera sp. in A. marina. Water content and salinity were the most critical physicochemical factors affecting the overall microalgal community in adhered soil and on pneumatophore itself, respectively. An increase in salinity in adhered soil enhanced microalgal diversity and favored the growth of Nitzschia in both substrates. These results reveal that pneumatophores provide diverse microhabitats for epiphytic microalgae to colonize, with significant variations in compositions between substrates, vertical positions, and mangrove plant species, whereas the key environmental factors shaping the microalgal community were substrate specific.

Centennial-scale records that disentangle climatic variability from anthropogenic disturbance remain limited for subtropical mangrove systems, constraining process-based understanding of soil–sediment dynamics and landscape evolution under coupled forcing. Here, we present a high-resolution multiproxy reconstruction integrating fossil pollen, sediment geochemistry, radiometric chronology, historical archives, and remote sensing to resolve 2 centuries of mangrove ecosystem change in the Zhangjiang Estuary, southeastern China. The results reveal distinct disturbance–recovery cycles characterized by declines in mangrove dominance, reduced soil organic carbon, lower C/N ratios, and increased bulk density during phases of intensified land-use modification, followed by recovery intervals marked by renewed mangrove expansion and enhanced carbon preservation. Chronological alignment with China’s successive Five-Year Plans suggests that hydrological engineering, land reclamation, and aquaculture development were associated with shifts in vegetation composition and sedimentary conditions preserved in the stratigraphic record. Remote sensing over the past 5 decades corroborates these trends, indicating a 5-fold increase in mangrove extent following conservation interventions since the 1990s. Across sites, consistent empirical stability thresholds emerge, with stable states associated with >40% mangrove pollen, soil organic carbon > 80 Mg C hm−2, and C/N ratios > 18, while disturbance phases are dominated by herbaceous taxa and reduced carbon storage. These findings highlight the close linkage between vegetation composition, sedimentary conditions, carbon preservation, and geomorphic stability while showing that structural recovery does not necessarily imply functional recovery. By linking sedimentary processes with governance cycles, this study provides a transferable framework for evaluating mangrove resilience and blue carbon dynamics under climate change and policy-driven restoration.

Mangrove integration into aquaculture ponds has emerged as a promising strategy for improving coastal livelihoods and increasing carbon sequestration, yet the effects of different plantation configurations on climate regulating service delivery remain poorly understood in Bangladesh. This comparative study evaluated how plantation configuration affects biomass carbon stock, oxygen release, and economic valuation in coastal aquaculture ponds. Vegetation structure was measured through field inventories, and biomass carbon stocks were estimated using species-specific allometric equations.,Tree-based, mangrove-Nypa mixed, and Nypa-based ponds were the three pond types identified across three sub-districts of Khulna and Satkhira. Sonneratia apetala, Sonneratia caseolaris, Avicennia officinalis, and Nypa fruticans were the dominant species across all pond types. Older mixed ponds stored the largest carbon stocks (124.61±50.6 Mg C ha⁻¹), while younger tree-based ponds exhibited higher annual carbon accumulation rates (14.13±5.37 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), suggesting that restoration goals should align with management priorities, whether maximizing long-term carbon storage or achieving rapid biomass accumulation for extra economic returns. Total valuation reached USD 117,613 ha-1 in mixed ponds, driven by CO2 equivalent (457 Mg CO2e ha-1) and oxygen release (332 Mg O2 ha-1), with oxygen accounting for 96% of this value. These findings highlight the need to incorporate oxygen valuation into blue-carbon frameworks and demonstrate that mangrove-aquaculture integration can simultaneously enhance carbon storage, oxygen release, and economic return in coastal Bangladesh. This study provides evidence for integrating mangrove restoration into sustainable coastal management and climate mitigation policies in tropical delta regions.

Photosynthesis in mangroves contributes to one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth and plays a significant role in mitigating global climate change. However, the mechanisms underlying the high productivity of mangroves remain largely unexplored. Through anatomical analyses, we found that mangrove species with higher biomass production, such as Sonneratia apetala, exhibit isobilateral leaves, which enhance light harvesting and reduce light inhibition, resulting in higher photosynthetic yields. Transcriptomic and genomic analyses revealed the molecular processes underlying the formation of isobilateral leaves. We found that auxin is rapidly synthesized and works in coordination with gibberellin and brassinosteroid in the isobilateral leaves of S. apetala. Interestingly, we identified a group of genes related to adaxial-abaxial leaf polarity in S. apetala, with upregulated genes associated with chlorophyll synthesis, adaxial cell identity and erect leaf growth, while genes related to the recognition of adaxial cell boundaries-possibly related to the lower palisade tissues-were downregulated. Additionally, we identified amino acid substitutions and changes in promoter cis-acting elements in Indole-3-acetic acid carboxylmethyltransferase 1 (IAMT1) in Sonneratia species. These findings provide new insights into the formation of isobilateral leaves in mangroves and their adaptation to intertidal high-light coastal conditions.

Understanding the carbon sequestration of saltmarshes and the role of biomorphodynamic feedback are essential for the protection, management, and adaptation to climate change of coastal blue carbon ecosystems. We developed a biomorphodynamic model that simultaneously considers carbon vertical burial and lateral exchange of soil organic carbon and validated this model against field measurements. This model was then used to examine carbon dynamics in saltmarshes and to explore the integrated effects of hydrodynamics, vegetation growth, sediment transport, and morphological change on carbon sequestration and spatial patterns. We find that taking lateral transport of sediment and carbon into account results in a greater spatial gradient of carbon burial compared to that of biomass, especially near the marsh edge. This enhanced gradient is reflected in our field data. Hydrodynamics enhance the spatial heterogeneity of marsh carbon burial and exchange by suspending sediment at the production-governed edge and transporting carbon into the marsh where it deposits. In our study case, the transport loss at the saltmarsh front accounted for 43% of carbon production inputs, while carbon burial was only 40%. The carbon sequestration capacity of saltmarshes critically depends on the hydrodynamic complexity of the fringing zone, which in some cases can shift the role of saltmarshes from carbon sinks to sources. Our modeling framework facilitates more accurate predictions of how carbon sequestration responds to changes in landscape morphology and hydrodynamics, providing valuable insights for conservation strategies aimed at maximizing the climate change mitigation benefits of blue carbon ecosystems.

Wetlands are significant carbon (C) sinks and are expected to promote greater C assimilation as atmospheric CO2 concentrations rise. However, the fate of C with environmental change along fresh-to-oligohaline wetland transitions is not well understood. We established an ex-situ mesocosm experiment to mimic future elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2, 720 ppm) versus current (380 ppm), and we exposed four co-occurring coastal wetland communities that naturally transgress (i.e., freshwater forest, mixed forest and marsh, marsh, mudflat) to these concentrations for two years. Overall, wetland communities with marsh plants in monoculture and mixed culture maintained high ecosystem C uptake with eCO2 versus freshwater forested wetlands or mudflats, likely from superior plant species photosynthetic adjustment versus leaf area increases. eCO2 promoted greater CO2 uptake by leaves in all communities except mudflats, while promoting CH4 efflux from whole ecosystems only when marsh plants were present. eCO2 is projected to stimulate C gain 2.2-fold for forested wetlands and oligohaline marsh and 2.9-fold for forest-marsh mixture through greater CO2 uptake. However, this comes at a cost of stimulated CH4 flux by 1.4-to-1.7-fold in mixed and marsh communities versus reduced CH4 fluxes with eCO2 by forest and mudflat communities, perhaps through different oxidation pathways. Freshwater forested wetlands limited greenhouse gas emissions compared with transitional habitats, oligohaline marshes, and mudflats as atmospheric CO2 concentrations increased. Stimulated C uptake in marshes may not offset higher methane emissions from these systems, potentially facilitating greater warming in a future with elevated atmospheric CO2.

Mangrove forests are critical coastal wetlands for the global blue carbon budget and play a significant role in mitigating climate change. Therefore, accurate and reliable assessments or predictions of mangrove blue carbon are essential to support the implementation of mangrove restoration projects and to underscore their importance. However, current evaluations of mangrove restoration outcomes, particularly regarding the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) potential of these forests, remain inadequate. This study aims to investigate the impact of mangrove restoration on blue carbon and CDR in Xiamen City, located in the southeastern coastal region of China. Specifically, the study seeks to quantify the carbon stocks of mangrove forests at present and in the future and to evaluate the contribution of mangrove restoration to achieving carbon neutrality and peak carbon emissions. Field investigations and soil sampling were conducted in 2022 to establish a biomass carbon prediction model and to assess mangrove blue carbon. The average mangrove blue carbon is currently estimated at 89.27 MgC ha-1, and it is projected to increase to 112.07 MgC ha-1 by 2030 and to 173.26 MgC ha-1 by 2060. Additionally, this research evaluates the CDR by offsetting the net carbon gain against greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, highlighting not only the significance of non-CO2 GHGs in the mangrove carbon budget but also providing a robust foundation for the conservation and management of mangrove ecosystems, particularly in their capacity for carbon sequestration and their role in mitigating climate change.

Aquaculture ponds significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ecological restoration of these ponds in China's coastal regions involves transitioning through stages of active cultivation, abandonment, and recovery to restore them into vibrant mangrove forests. However, the GHG emissions across different restoration stages remain under-researched. To bridge this gap, this study monitored carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions at the water-air interface over a year in Zhangjiang Mangroves, focusing on razor clam aquaculture ponds in three distinct stages of restoration. Our study revealed that ponds were significant CH4 emitters, with abandoned ponds emitting the least (0.0049 tCH4 ha-1 yr-1), followed by restored ponds (0.0061 tCH4 ha-2 yr-1), while active culturing ponds had the highest emissions (0.0078 tCH4 ha-2 yr-1). Both active culturing and abandoned ponds were net carbon sources, emitting 4.81 tCO2 ha-2 yr-1 and 1.04 tCO2 ha-2 yr-1 respectively, while restored ponds served as a carbon sink, with a net uptake 0.43 tCO2 ha-2 yr-1 throughout the year. Temperature emerges as the most influential factors for both CO2, and CH4 emissions. Furthermore, the carbon sequestration capacity of mangrove forests offset 282.7 % of the total CO2-equivalent GHG flux from the restored ponds. As restoration progresses, the cessation of aquaculture and vegetation recovery can effectively mitigate the greenhouse effect from pond cultivation by 73.8 %. This study provides vital data for China's coastal aquaculture carbon emission inventory and insights into GHG changes following the conversion of aquaculture ponds to mangrove forests, highlighting the significance of mangrove restoration in reducing emissions.

Mangrove forests provide vital ecosystem services to communities in tropical countries, yet they are susceptible to degradation. The causes and effects of mangrove forest degradation in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to explore these issues from the perspective of mangrove resource collectors (MRCs). Utilizing the DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, and Response) framework, data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with MRCs. The findings revealed that the drivers of mangrove degradation included reduced freshwater supply, increased demand for mangrove resources, climate change, and tourism. These drivers created pressures on the mangrove forests, manifesting through natural disasters, rising salinity levels, the establishment of the Farakka barrage, forest fires, coastal development, overexploitation, and pollution. Consequently, the forests experienced alterations in cover, a decline in mature trees, reduced stem density, and changes in species composition. The impacts of this degradation included biodiversity loss, diminished ecosystem services, and adverse effects on the livelihoods of communities dependent on mangroves. MRCs highlighted the necessity for support in generating alternative incomes, restoring freshwater supply, addressing the Farakka barrage issue collaboratively, enhancing forest management practices, and promoting mangrove afforestation and reforestation. These findings carry significant implications for policy reform, research, sustainable management, and conservation efforts for mangrove forests. They also underscore the need for developing alternative livelihood programs for communities living around the Sundarbans and other tropical regions facing similar challenges.

Although significant progress has been made in the remote sensing extraction of mangroves, research at the species level remains relatively limited. Kandelia obovata is a dominant mangrove species and is frequently used in ecological restoration projects in China. However, owing to the fragmented distribution of K. obovata within mixed mangrove communities and the significant spectral and textural similarities among mangrove species, accurately extracting large-scale K. obovata-based remote sensing data remains a challenging task. In this study, we conducted extensive field surveys and developed a comprehensive sampling database covering K. obovata and other mangrove species across mangrove-distributing areas in China. We identified the optimal bands for extracting K. obovata by utilizing time-series remote sensing data from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, along with the Google Earth Engine (GEE), and proposed a method for extracting K. obovata communities. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The spectral-temporal variability characteristics of the blue and red-edge bands play a crucial role in the identification of K. obovata communities. The 90th percentile metric of the blue wavelength band ranks first in importance, while the 75th percentile metric of the blue wavelength band ranks second; (2) This method of remote sensing extraction using spectral-temporal variability metrics with time-series optical and radar remote sensing data offers significant advantages in identifying the K. obovata species, achieving a producer’s accuracy of up to 94.6%; (3) In 2018, the total area of pure K. obovata communities in China was 4825.97 ha; (4) In the southern provinces of China, Guangdong Province has the largest K. obovata community area, while Macau has the smallest. This research contributes to the understanding of mangrove ecosystems and provides a methodological framework for monitoring K. obovata and other coastal vegetation using advanced remote sensing technologies.

Sea-level rise (SLR) may reduce mangrove carbon sequestration by increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-a key factor in forecasting the trajectory of blue carbon reserves. Nonetheless, predictions of future GHG fluxes under SLR remain uncertain. Unlike prior studies limited to controlled or single-site settings, we deploy cross-latitude "marsh-organ" designs in China to access GHG fluxes in mangroves and neighboring mudflats. Our findings show that SLR-stimulated CH4 emissions in mangroves could increase by 10% under RCP 4.5 and by 22% under RCP 8.5, relative to current sea level by 2100. Conversely, SLR decreases ecosystem respiration and N2O emissions by 35%-51% and 28%-36%, respectively, while net ecosystem productivity decreases by 12%-28% as SLR increases. Overall, our results forecast a 17%-30% decline in mangroves' climate mitigation efficiency. We recommend focusing on non-CO2 GHG emissions from mangroves, as they may significantly offset climate mitigation capacity under climate change.

Coastal wetlands play an important role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and contribute significantly to climate change mitigation. However, climate change, reclamation, and restoration have been causing substantial changes in coastal wetland areas and carbon exchange in China during recent decades. Here we compiled a carbon flux database consisting of 15 coastal wetland sites to assess the magnitude, patterns, and drivers of carbon fluxes and to compare fluxes among contrasting natural, disturbed, and restored wetlands. The natural coastal wetlands have the average net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) of -577 g C m(-2) year(-1), with -821 g C m(-2) year(-1) for mangrove forests and -430 g C m(-2) year(-1) for salt marshes. There are pronounced latitudinal patterns for carbon dioxide exchange of natural coastal wetlands: NEE increased whereas gross primary production (GPP) and respiration of ecosystem decreased with increasing latitude. Distinct environmental factors drive annual variations of GPP between mangroves and salt marshes; temperature was the dominant controlling factor in salt marshes, while temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were co-dominant in mangroves. Meanwhile, both anthropogenic reclamation and restoration had substantial effects on coastal wetland carbon fluxes, and the effect of the anthropogenic perturbation in mangroves was more extensive than that in salt marshes. Furthermore, from 1980 to 2020, anthropogenic reclamation of China's coastal wetlands caused a carbon loss of similar to 3720 Gg C, while the mangrove restoration project during the period of 2021-2025 may switch restored coastal wetlands from a carbon source to carbon sink with a net carbon gain of 73 Gg C. The comparison of carbon fluxes among these coastal wetlands can improve our understanding of how anthropogenic perturbation can affect the potentials of coastal blue carbon in China, which has implications for informing conservation and restoration strategies and efforts of coastal wetlands.

Blue carbon stored in coastal wetlands can be highly impacted by extreme events, such as typhoons. However, the sediment carbon accumulation capacity in this circumstance, remains unclear. In this study, a field site crossing the bare mudflat-saltmarsh interface was established in Southern Hangzhou Bay, to investigate the geomorphological and subsequent sediment carbon accumulation changes during the typhoon season (2 months) and the succeeding calm weather period (10 months). Surface Elevation Tables (SETs) were used, together with GPS-RTK and UAV-LiDAR surveys, to observe surface elevation changes at different spatial scales. The elevation and sediment organic carbon density data were used to estimate the gain/loss of sediment carbon pool under the impact of two successive typhoons, "In-Fa" and "Chanthu". This revealed that during the typhoon season, 6.3 cm of surface erosion occurred on the bare mudflat whilst rapid depositions of 6.1 and 12.3 cm occurred in Scirpus mariqueter and Spartina alterniflora habitats, respectively. In the gap between the two typhoon events, the bare mudflat experienced deposition of 4.2 cm, signalling recovery from erosion, but deposition within the saltmarsh front slowed. During the calm weather period, sediment deposition increased landward, with magnitudes of 13.1 cm, 16.4 cm, and 18.2 cm. Sediment carbon budget estimates indicated that during the typhoon season, the bare mudflat lost similar to 3.4 Mg C ha(-1) but saltmarshes gained similar to 4.9 Mg C ha(-1) in their sediment organic carbon pools. These changes in sediment carbon accumulation rates over the typhoon season accounted for >30 % of annual change in the study area, and may be associated with tidal creek dynamics. This study suggests the important role of typhoons in mediating the sediment carbon pool across the mudflat-saltmarsh interface. With future climate change, increasingly frequent catastrophic events could cause considerable changes in coastal blue carbon sequestration capacity.

Mangroves are important coastal wetlands along tropical and subtropical regions. Pneumatophore, a kind of aerial root, is among the prominent components of a mangrove ecosystem, which provides microhabitats for a range of prokaryotic (bacteria and cyanobacteria) microbial assemblages, whose role in the maintenance of mangrove ecology often remains neglected. Very few studies are available on pneumatophore-associated prokaryotic microorganisms (PAPMs). The majority of them are related to the microscopic identification of cyanobacteria, with very limited research on the bacterial population, even though they demand more attention. Also, very scarce information is available on biotic and abiotic factors shaping the PAPMs. The objective of this review is to highlight the structural and functional importance of prokaryotic organisms associated with pneumatophores. This review begins with a brief introduction of what mangrove pneumatophores are, then focuses on the PAPMs, accentuating the breadth and depth of information gained from previous research. We further discuss how a combination of a traditional cultivable approach and a newly developed omics approach can be efficaciously employed to untangle PAPMs. This review provides updated information on PAPMs, which will intensify the visibility and necessity of pneumatophore-associated microbial community research.