‘Sink’ or swim for salt marshes

Salt marshes have the potential to store large amounts of carbon, but unfortunately these ecosystems face serious threats, from sea level rise, land use change, nutrient runoff and more. Using multiple sensors, ecologists are working to better understand the processes (and time scales) that control the flow of carbon in marshes. Changes in such processes could ultimately dictate whether marshes will serve as net ‘sources’ or ‘sinks’ of carbon.