10 APR 2026 (FRI) 10:00-12:00

Geography Distinguished Seminars Series

Studies of Key Carbon Cycle Processes in Mangrove Wetland Ecosystems of Southeastern China and Their Blue Carbon Potentials

Date: 10 APR 2026 (Friday)

Time: 10:00-12:00 (HKT)

Venue: CLL, Department of Geography, 10/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

Mode: Hybrid

Via Zoom: Zoom link will be provided upon successful registration

Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=106170

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Abstract:

Mangrove wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services, including coast protection, fisheries production, water purification and carbon sequestration, etc. There are increasing interests in quantifying and enhancing carbon sinks of coastal wetlands to offset carbon emission for mitigating global climate change, so called NbS to mitigate climate change. Although mangroves are well known for high C assimilation and flux rates, data are surprisingly lacking on whole-ecosystem carbon stocks and fluxes. We established long-term field study sites in several mangrove ecosystems of southeastern China with distinct climate and tidal regimes. In addition, we have conducted field surveys on carbon stocks in the biomass and sediment of typical mangrove forests. There were considerable variations in carbon stocks and ecosystem fluxes among these mangrove forests of different locations and community types. Although under heavy influences of human activities and extreme climate, these subtropical mangrove forests in China showed strong and consistent carbon sinks but much lower carbon density in comparison with the well-preserved mangrove forests in USA or other countries in Southeast Asia. Implications of these results for mangrove blue carbon managements in developing countries were discussed.

Professor Guanghui Lin

Professor of Ecology, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University (Beijing) Chief Scientist, Hainan International Blue Carbon Research Center (Haikou)

Prof. Guanghui Lin is currently a professor of ecology in the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University (Beijing) and the Chief Scientist for Hainan International Blue Carbon Research Center (Haikou). He holds degrees in botany (BSc) and wetland ecology (MSc.) from Xiamen University, and Ph.D. in ecophysiology from University of Miami, followed by a postdoctoral position at the University of Utah. His research interests include mangrove ecology, stable isotope ecology and global change biology. Lin has authored >260 publications and 5 books, most of them focused on carbon cycle processes and blue carbon potentials of mangrove wetland and other coastal ecosystems. He also specializes in applications of controlled experiments, stable isotopes and eddy covariance techniques to ecological and environmental science research.

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