Articles | Volume 23, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6447-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-23-6447-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
17 Sep 2026
Research article |
| 17 Sep 2026
| 17 Sep 2026
Towards circularity in shellfish aquaculture: stimulating mussel shell dissolution in marine sediments
Cedric Goossens
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Geobiology Research Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
Steven Bouillon
Division of Soil and Water Management, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Heverlee, 3001, Belgium
Filip J. R. Meysman
Geobiology Research Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
Sebastiaan J. van de Velde
Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Ōtepoti Dunedin, 9016, Aotearoa New Zealand
Earth Sciences New Zealand, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, 6021, Aotearoa New Zealand
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Adding crushed olivine to coastal sediments could help seawater absorb carbon dioxide, but it may also release toxic metals. We studied olivine in experiments with burrowing marine worms. The worms accelerated the release of alkalinity, a property that helps seawater take up carbon dioxide. Finer olivine released more nickel, while coarse olivine produced a similar increase in alkalinity. Coarser grains may therefore offer a better balance between potential climate benefits and metal exposure.
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Alberto V. Borges, Cédric Morana, Loris Deirmendjian, William Okello, Patrick Omeja, Mwapu Isumbisho, Jean-Pierre Descy, and Steven Bouillon
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1976, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1976, 2026
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We report 168 measurements of paired bottom- and surface-water CH4 concentrations from 46 African lakes spanning a wide range of surface area and maximum depth. Bottom-water and surface-water CH4 concentrations increased with stratification. The ratio of surface to bottom CH4 concentrations was negatively related to bottom depth and stratification, indicating that the relative increase in surface-water CH4 might be greater in shallower and less stratified systems.
Clare Woulds, Dick van Oevelen, Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez, and Filip J. R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 23, 1739–1754, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1739-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1739-2026, 2026
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Mona Huyzentruyt, Maarten Wens, Gregory S. Fivash, David Walters, Steven Bouillon, Joel Carr, Glenn Guntenspergen, Matt L. Kirwan, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 23, 851–865, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-851-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-851-2026, 2026
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Vegetated environments from forests to peatlands store carbon in the soil, which mitigates climate change. But which environment does this best? In this study, we show how the levees of tidal marshes are one of the most effective carbon sequestering environments in the world. This is because soil water-logging and high salinity inhibits carbon degradation while the levee fosters fast vegetation growth, complimented also by the preferential settlement of carbon-rich sediments on the marsh levee.
Gunter Flipkens, Greet Lembregts, and Filip J.R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 23, 399–420, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-399-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-399-2026, 2026
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Cement and lime kiln dust, industrial by-products, could help remove CO2 from the atmosphere by increasing surface ocean alkalinity. Lab experiments showed that a fraction dissolves rapidly in seawater, releasing substantial alkalinity. Most of the residual fraction may dissolve in marine sediments to drive further carbon storage. Both materials could thus aid in global CO2 removal, but careful application strategies are required to avoid harm to marine ecosystems.
Silvia Placitu, Sebastiaan J. van de Velde, Astrid Hylén, Mats Eriksson, Per O. J. Hall, and Steeve Bonneville
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Marine sediments store organic carbon and help regulate climate. Oxygen-depleted waters are thought to enhance this, however Western Gotland Basin sediments show low carbon despite such conditions. We studied the role of mineral protection, which can shield carbon from microbes, and found it limited. This suggests that without physical protection, carbon remains accessible and gets degraded, making mineral protection a key factor in carbon preservation.
Astrid Hylén, Nils Ekeroth, Hannah Berk, Andy W. Dale, Mikhail Kononets, Wytze K. Lenstra, Aada Palo, Anders Tengberg, Sebastiaan J. van de Velde, Stefan Sommer, Caroline P. Slomp, and Per O. J. Hall
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Tom Huysmans, Filip J. R. Meysman, and Sebastiaan J. van de Velde
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Zita Kelemen, David P. Gillikin, and Steven Bouillon
Biogeosciences, 22, 2621–2635, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2621-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2621-2025, 2025
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We analysed the C and O stable isotope composition (δ13C, δ18O) across the growth axis of museum-archived and recent Chambardia wissmanni shells from the Oubangui River (Congo basin) covering sections of the past ~120 years. Recent shells showed a much wider range of δ18O values compared to historical specimens, consistent with the suggestion that dry periods in the upper Congo basin have become more extreme in recent times and highlighting the potential of this species to reconstruct hydroclimatic conditions.
Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Alberto Vieira Borges, Liesa Brosens, Cedric Morana, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Gerard Govers, and Steven Bouillon
Biogeosciences, 22, 2403–2424, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2403-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2403-2025, 2025
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A comprehensive survey of the biogeochemistry of the Lake Alaotra system showed that the lake and surrounding wetlands acted as a substantial source of new organic carbon (OC), which was exported downstream. Marsh vegetation was the main source of dissolved OC, while phytoplankton contributed to the particulate OC pool. The biogeochemical functioning of Lake Alaotra differs from most East African lakes studied, likely due to its large surface area, shallow water depth, and surrounding wetlands.
Luna J. J. Geerts, Astrid Hylén, and Filip J. R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 22, 355–384, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-355-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-355-2025, 2025
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Marine enhanced rock weathering (mERW) with olivine is a promising method for capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, yet studies in field conditions are lacking. We bridge the gap between theoretical studies and the real-world environment by estimating the predictability of mERW parameters and identifying aspects to consider when applying mERW. A major source of uncertainty is the lack of experimental studies with sediment, which can heavily influence the speed and efficiency of CO2 drawdown.
Christian Lønborg, Cátia Carreira, Gwenaël Abril, Susana Agustí, Valentina Amaral, Agneta Andersson, Javier Arístegui, Punyasloke Bhadury, Mariana B. Bif, Alberto V. Borges, Steven Bouillon, Maria Ll. Calleja, Luiz C. Cotovicz Jr., Stefano Cozzi, Maryló Doval, Carlos M. Duarte, Bradley Eyre, Cédric G. Fichot, E. Elena García-Martín, Alexandra Garzon-Garcia, Michele Giani, Rafael Gonçalves-Araujo, Renee Gruber, Dennis A. Hansell, Fuminori Hashihama, Ding He, Johnna M. Holding, William R. Hunter, J. Severino P. Ibánhez, Valeria Ibello, Shan Jiang, Guebuem Kim, Katja Klun, Piotr Kowalczuk, Atsushi Kubo, Choon-Weng Lee, Cláudia B. Lopes, Federica Maggioni, Paolo Magni, Celia Marrase, Patrick Martin, S. Leigh McCallister, Roisin McCallum, Patricia M. Medeiros, Xosé Anxelu G. Morán, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Allison Myers-Pigg, Marit Norli, Joanne M. Oakes, Helena Osterholz, Hyekyung Park, Maria Lund Paulsen, Judith A. Rosentreter, Jeff D. Ross, Digna Rueda-Roa, Chiara Santinelli, Yuan Shen, Eva Teira, Tinkara Tinta, Guenther Uher, Masahide Wakita, Nicholas Ward, Kenta Watanabe, Yu Xin, Youhei Yamashita, Liyang Yang, Jacob Yeo, Huamao Yuan, Qiang Zheng, and Xosé Antón Álvarez-Salgado
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1107–1119, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1107-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1107-2024, 2024
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In this paper, we present the first edition of a global database compiling previously published and unpublished measurements of dissolved organic matter (DOM) collected in coastal waters (CoastDOM v1). Overall, the CoastDOM v1 dataset will be useful to identify global spatial and temporal patterns and to facilitate reuse in studies aimed at better characterizing local biogeochemical processes and identifying a baseline for modelling future changes in coastal waters.
Ulf Riebesell, Daniela Basso, Sonja Geilert, Andrew W. Dale, and Matthias Kreuzburg
State Planet, 2-oae2023, 6, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-6-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-6-2023, 2023
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Mesocosm experiments represent a highly valuable tool in determining the safe operating space of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) applications. By combining realism and biological complexity with controllability and replication, they provide an ideal OAE test bed and a critical stepping stone towards field applications. Mesocosm approaches can also be helpful in testing the efficacy, efficiency and permanence of OAE applications.
Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Marjolein Dewaele, Gerard Govers, Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Liesbet Jacobs, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, and Steven Bouillon
Biogeosciences, 19, 3825–3841, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3825-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3825-2022, 2022
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In order to shed light on possible past vegetation shifts in the Central Highlands of Madagascar, we measured stable isotope ratios of organic carbon in soil profiles along both forested and grassland hillslope transects in the Lake Alaotra region. Our results show that the landscape of this region was more forested in the past: soils in the C4-dominated grasslands contained a substantial fraction of C3-derived carbon, increasing with depth.
Rey Harvey Suello, Simon Lucas Hernandez, Steven Bouillon, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis Dominguez-Granda, Marijn Van de Broek, Andrea Mishell Rosado Moncayo, John Ramos Veliz, Karem Pollette Ramirez, Gerard Govers, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 19, 1571–1585, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, 2022
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This research shows indications that the age of the mangrove forest and its position along a deltaic gradient (upstream–downstream) play a vital role in the amount and sources of carbon stored in the mangrove sediments. Our findings also imply that carbon capture by the mangrove ecosystem itself contributes partly but relatively little to long-term sediment organic carbon storage. This finding is particularly relevant for budgeting the potential of mangrove ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
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Short summary
Shell growth in bivalve aquaculture removes ocean alkalinity, leading to CO2 emissions. Here, we explore a circular solution by crushing shell waste and distributing it into coastal sediments, where its dissolution releases alkalinity that can compensate these emissions. Laboratory experiments showed substantial shell dissolution and alkalinity production, highlighting the potential for aquaculture circularity under suitable sediment conditions.
Shell growth in bivalve aquaculture removes ocean alkalinity, leading to CO2 emissions. Here, we...
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