Blue carbon dynamics in restored UK saltmarshes

Gore, Catrina (2026) Blue carbon dynamics in restored UK saltmarshes. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Saltmarsh restoration by breaching the seawall surrounding an area used for agriculture is posited as a natural climate solution because these blue carbon ecosystems can accumulate organic carbon (OC) at rates exceeding those of other ecosystems. This thesis examined blue carbon dynamics in restored UK saltmarshes across a wide scale, from the stocks of OC in several sites to the chemical composition of the organic matter (OM) that comprises that stock and the microorganisms that determine its fate. In Chapter Two, it was concluded that sites between eight and 102-years old had OC stocks of a similar magnitude to their natural counterparts, but a larger share of the OM originated from an external, marine setting. Chapter Three involved a methodological assessment of the fluorometric microplate enzyme assay method, a technique that determines extracellular enzyme activity in soils. Conclusions from this chapter were applied to Chapter Four to assess the microbial community composition and functioning of neighbouring natural and restored marshes. Measuring redox conditions showed that the restored marsh was more oxygen limited than the natural. This resulted in a microbial community dominated by sulphate reducing taxa, especially in the deep sediment layer representative of a relic agricultural field. Finally, in Chapter Five, the teabag index and microbial DNA sequencing were employed to determine the rates and drivers of OM decomposition in the same neighbouring marshes. Although the restored marsh was dominated by anaerobic microbial taxa, OM decomposition and stabilisation rates did not differ between the sites. Together, these results suggest that less of the OM in restored sites is autochthonous and, even under strongly reducing conditions, microbial communities remain capable of driving OM remineralisation.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Bethany Turner
Date Deposited:	16 Sep 2026 09:36
Last Modified:	16 Sep 2026 09:36
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/104529
DOI:

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