The marine system plays a critical role in the global climate cycle, as a major control of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Marine primary production (photosynthesis) and remineralisation of organic carbon (respiration, degradation) determine the amount of CO2 sequestered in marine sediments and deep-water environments on century to millennial timescales. The stocks and fluxes of the marine carbon cycle are susceptible to global climate change impacts and other anthropogenic activities that modify key processes. Oceanographic studies of the marine carbon cycle in Aotearoa New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (NZ EEZ) and Territorial Seas over past decades have provided broad knowledge across a complex and dynamic seascape, but there remain fundamental knowledge gaps that limit identification of and response to present and future anthropogenic threats. In particular, several areas of the EEZ have been under-sampled and there are currently insufficient data to establish baselines and variability for the marine carbon cycle. We recommend that new observational technologies and ocean modelling applications be fully developed and utilised to enable development of robust predictive capability of our ocean's response to human-induced perturbations. Future focus on oceanic nature-based solutions to accelerate CO2 uptake will require improved knowledge of the marine carbon cycle in NZ's EEZ.
- 9926715306901891
- Aotearoa New Zealand's marine carbon cycle in a changing climate - Current understanding and future directions
- Scott D. NodderCliff S. LawErik BehrensSarah J. BuryAntonia CristiCharine CollinsKim I. CurrieMoira DecimaAlain De VerneilPablo C. Escobar-FloresDenise FernandezMark P. GallAndres Gutierrez-RodriguezSvenja HalfterHelen S. MacDonaldAndrew MarrinerMatthew H. PinkertonGraham J. RickardKarl A. SafiSarah SeabrookCraig L. StevensPhilip J. H. SuttonJohn R. Zeldis
- Marine Science
- New Zealand journal of marine and freshwater research, Vol.59(5), pp.913-956
- Taylor & Francis
- 13/02/2025
- National Centre of Oceans, NIWA via SSIF, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
- Copyright © The Author(s) 2025. This work was first published in New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research (Taylor & Francis). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that the original work is properly attributed to the creator(s) and the source, a link to the Creative Commons license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
- English
- Journal article