Freshwater systems: a neglected piece of the carbon storage puzzle

Inland waters can help us mitigate climate change by storing carbon in the sediments. However, for a long time, they were ignored as a player in carbon sequestration ―the process of removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, transforming it, and storing it underground. Carbon sequestration happens in ecosystems all around the world. Forests and oceans are most well-known for sequestering carbon, but freshwater ecosystems are also good at it. To put this in perspective: inland waters might sequester up to 20% of the amount of carbon sequestered by the oceans, even though they cover <5.6% of the oceans’ area. 

Along with colleagues from the Department of Aquatic Ecology, we decided to make the overlooked role of inland waters visible and share it with a broader audience. So, we embarked on the adventure of writing an article for kids in the journal Frontiers for Young Minds. 

In our article 'Freshwater Ecosystems: Carbon Sequestration Champions' we give an overview of how freshwater bodies may remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, what processes drive carbon sequestration, and who the protagonists are. We also include a critical view of the uncertainties in the estimations of carbon sequestration in these ecosystems.

It was a satisfying (and long) process in which we worked collectively to share our ideas in plain language, yet keeping the scientific accuracy of the information. Comments from the kids like “I really enjoyed this article”, “I understand how water can store carbon now”, and “I found the article to be really engaging”, make me feel we accomplished our goal.