Grey mangrove Avicennia marina in Rabigh Lagoon, Red Sea, as a driver of CO₂ capture and utilization for climate change mitigation
Abdullahi Bala ALHASSAN, Mohammed Othman ALJAHDALI, Ramatu Idris SHA’ABA
Abstract. Mangroves are vital nature-based solutions for climate action, owing to their capacity for atmospheric CO₂ capture and long-term storage in both biomass and sediments. This study investigated Avicennia marina stands in Rabigh Lagoon along the central Red Sea to evaluate their carbon sequestration potential under variable physicochemical and nutrient regimes. Results revealed strong spatial variation across six sub-sites. While oligotrophic conditions constrained growth at the lagoon entrance, nutrient-enriched sediments in the southern basin supported higher nitrogen and phosphorus levels in leaves and greater carbon accumulation in sediments. Elevated salinity (44.8‰) and high temperatures (29.0 °C) imposed stress, reducing mangrove height but favoring belowground carbon burial. Simulated sequestration estimates suggest sediment carbon stocks exceeding 350 Mg C/ha, with annual sequestration up to 6.1 Mg C/ha/yr. Principal component analysis highlighted salinity and temperature as key stressors but also as drivers of sequestration efficiency. These findings emphasize sediments as long-term carbon sinks while A. marina biomass provides rapid CO₂ drawdown, positioning mangroves as strategic natural allies for carbon capture and utilization (CCU).
Keywords
Mangrove, Avicennia Marina, Sediment, Carbon Sequestration, Red Sea
Published online 6/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Abdullahi Bala ALHASSAN, Mohammed Othman ALJAHDALI, Ramatu Idris SHA’ABA, Grey mangrove Avicennia marina in Rabigh Lagoon, Red Sea, as a driver of CO₂ capture and utilization for climate change mitigation, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 197-202, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-28
The article was published as article 28 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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