Carbon sequestration, as a biological process, refers to the capture and long-term storage of inorganic carbon, primarily in the form of atmospheric CO₂, into organic and inorganic carbon pools mediated by living organisms. In terrestrial ecosystems, plants, fungi, and microbes fix CO₂ via photosynthesis and chemoautotrophy, transferring carbon into biomass, soils, and stable humic substances. In aquatic systems, phytoplankton, macroalgae, and microbial communities incorporate CO₂ into organic matter, some of which is exported to deeper waters and sediments through the biological pump. Biological carbon sequestration regulates carbon cycling, ecosystem productivity, and contributes to the buffering of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.
The planet's natural carbon sinks are reaching critical limits, absorbing fewer emissions than expected as decades of climate change has weakened their capacity, a new report warns.
Environment
Oct 30, 2025
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SINKER is an innovative new instrument equipped with advanced microscopes and cameras to collect detailed data about carbon sinking in marine snow.
Earth Sciences
Oct 30, 2025
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Seagrasses preserve our oceans, offering safe harbor for sea life, calming rough waters, and storing excess carbon dioxide. Dozens of seagrass species protect coastlines around the globe, including the common North American ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 29, 2025
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While annual cropping systems such as maize/soy rotation perpetuate soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, perennial crops have been found to contribute to SOC increases. However, most perennial crop studies have been short-term, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 28, 2025
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Peatlands make up just 3% of Earth's land surface but store more than 30% of the world's soil carbon, preserving organic matter and sequestering its carbon for tens of thousands of years. A new study sounds the alarm that ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 23, 2025
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Continental shelf seas—the shallow waters surrounding our coasts that provide most of the world's seafood—are absorbing more carbon than they release, with the strength and direction of the prevailing wind proving a key control, ...
Environment
Oct 23, 2025
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Burning fossil fuels has elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, causing massive changes in the global climate including extreme temperatures and weather events here in the Midwest. Meanwhile, human activities have increased ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 20, 2025
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The ocean has helped mitigate global warming by absorbing about a quarter of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, along with more than 90% of the excess heat those emissions generate.
Earth Sciences
Oct 20, 2025
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When farmland is abandoned and allowed to return to nature, forests and grasslands naturally regrow and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere—helping fight climate change.
Earth Sciences
Oct 20, 2025
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The vast tropical forest nations of Brazil and Indonesia are both home to millions of people, including Indigenous communities. They store enormous amounts of carbon to protect our climate and are home to staggering numbers ...
Ecology
Oct 20, 2025
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