Articles | Volume 21, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2547-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2547-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 May 2024
Research article |
| 28 May 2024
| 28 May 2024
Quantification and mitigation of bottom-trawling impacts on sedimentary organic carbon stocks in the North Sea
Institute of Coastal Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Wenyan Zhang
Institute of Coastal Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Nils Christiansen
Institute of Coastal Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Jan Kossack
Institute of Coastal Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Ute Daewel
Institute of Coastal Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Corinna Schrum
Institute of Coastal Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Institute of Oceanography, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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Cited
21 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Offshore solar farms as habitats for Mytilus edulis: A preliminary modelling study on mussel growth, distribution, chlorophyll-a uptake and bio-deposition in the North Sea M. Nalmpanti et al.
- Chronic intense bottom trawling reduces marine carbon sequestration
- Under pressure: accounting for multiple human pressures outside and inside marine protected areas in the Skagerrak H. Frigstad et al.
- Sediment heterogeneity shapes spatial variability of resuspension-induced CO2 production I. Bartl & S. Thrush
- Long-term carbon storage in shelf sea sediments reduced by intensive bottom trawling W. Zhang et al.
- Hotspots and coldspots of seabed organic carbon on the Norwegian continental margin M. Diesing et al.
- Mapping organic carbon vulnerable to mobile bottom fishing in currently unfished areas of the Norwegian continental margin M. Diesing et al.
- Variable organic matter stoichiometry enhances the biological drawdown of CO2 in the northwest European shelf seas K. Demir et al.
- Ocean alkalinity destruction by anthropogenic seafloor disturbances generates a hidden CO 2 emission S. van de Velde et al.
- Benthic POC cycling in the Skagerrak basin: The role of lateral POC input T. Spiegel et al.
- What AIS misses and Acoustics reveal: Monitoring seafloor disturbance and recovery from bottom trawling in the southern Baltic Sea over five years M. Schönke et al.
- Sediment penetration by towed, seabed-contacting, fishing gear components F. O'Neill et al.
- Evaluating bottom trawling effects on North Sea productivity P. Tiwari et al.
- A gear component approach to trawling impact and sediment mobilization assessments K. van der Reijden et al.
- Reconciling the impact of mobile bottom-contact fishing on marine organic carbon sequestration P. Khedri et al.
- Sediment transport pathways and organic carbon burial impacted by offshore wind farms in shelf seas J. Chen et al.
- Reduction of carbon, alkalinity and nutrient fluxes in the southern Baltic Sea caused by dragging of otter trawl nets across the seafloor P. Linsy et al.
- Sedimentary blue carbon around decommissioned oil and gas platforms in the North Sea H. Woodward-Rowe et al.
- Disturbance impacts of planned offshore wind expansion on UK sediment blue carbon stocks D. Donald et al.
- Mobile bottom fishing in the Canadian Pacific and Atlantic causes disturbance and risk to remineralisation of seabed sediment carbon stocks G. Epstein et al.
- Dredging and dumping impact coastal fluxes of sediment and organic carbon L. Porz et al.
21 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Offshore solar farms as habitats for Mytilus edulis: A preliminary modelling study on mussel growth, distribution, chlorophyll-a uptake and bio-deposition in the North Sea M. Nalmpanti et al.
- Chronic intense bottom trawling reduces marine carbon sequestration
- Under pressure: accounting for multiple human pressures outside and inside marine protected areas in the Skagerrak H. Frigstad et al.
- Sediment heterogeneity shapes spatial variability of resuspension-induced CO2 production I. Bartl & S. Thrush
- Long-term carbon storage in shelf sea sediments reduced by intensive bottom trawling W. Zhang et al.
- Hotspots and coldspots of seabed organic carbon on the Norwegian continental margin M. Diesing et al.
- Mapping organic carbon vulnerable to mobile bottom fishing in currently unfished areas of the Norwegian continental margin M. Diesing et al.
- Variable organic matter stoichiometry enhances the biological drawdown of CO2 in the northwest European shelf seas K. Demir et al.
- Ocean alkalinity destruction by anthropogenic seafloor disturbances generates a hidden CO 2 emission S. van de Velde et al.
- Benthic POC cycling in the Skagerrak basin: The role of lateral POC input T. Spiegel et al.
- What AIS misses and Acoustics reveal: Monitoring seafloor disturbance and recovery from bottom trawling in the southern Baltic Sea over five years M. Schönke et al.
- Sediment penetration by towed, seabed-contacting, fishing gear components F. O'Neill et al.
- Evaluating bottom trawling effects on North Sea productivity P. Tiwari et al.
- A gear component approach to trawling impact and sediment mobilization assessments K. van der Reijden et al.
- Reconciling the impact of mobile bottom-contact fishing on marine organic carbon sequestration P. Khedri et al.
- Sediment transport pathways and organic carbon burial impacted by offshore wind farms in shelf seas J. Chen et al.
- Reduction of carbon, alkalinity and nutrient fluxes in the southern Baltic Sea caused by dragging of otter trawl nets across the seafloor P. Linsy et al.
- Sedimentary blue carbon around decommissioned oil and gas platforms in the North Sea H. Woodward-Rowe et al.
- Disturbance impacts of planned offshore wind expansion on UK sediment blue carbon stocks D. Donald et al.
- Mobile bottom fishing in the Canadian Pacific and Atlantic causes disturbance and risk to remineralisation of seabed sediment carbon stocks G. Epstein et al.
- Dredging and dumping impact coastal fluxes of sediment and organic carbon L. Porz et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 30 Apr 2026
Short summary
Seafloor sediments store a large amount of carbon, helping to naturally regulate Earth's climate. If disturbed, some sediment particles can turn into CO2, but this effect is not well understood. Using computer simulations, we found that bottom-contacting fishing gears release about 1 million tons of CO2 per year in the North Sea, one of the most heavily fished regions globally. We show how protecting certain areas could reduce these emissions while also benefitting seafloor-living animals.
Seafloor sediments store a large amount of carbon, helping to naturally regulate Earth's...
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