Relative sea-level change regulates organic carbon accumulation in coastal habitats.

Because coastal habitats store large amounts of organic carbon (C ), the conservation and restoration of these habitats are considered to be important measures for mitigating global climate change. Although future sea-level rise is predicted to change the characteristics of these habitats, its impact on their rate of C sequestration is highly uncertain. Here we used historical depositional records to show that relative sea-level (RSL) changes regulated C accumulation rates in boreal contiguous seagrass-saltmarsh habitats.

Food sources for Ruditapes philippinarum in a coastal lagoon determined by mass balance and stable isotope approaches.

The relationship between the food demand of a clam population (Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams & Reeve 1850)) and the isotopic contributions of potential food sources (phytoplankton, benthic diatoms, and organic matter derived from the sediment surface, seagrass, and seaweeds) to the clam diet were investigated. In particular, we investigated the manner in which dense patches of clams with high secondary productivity are sustained in a coastal lagoon ecosystem (Hichirippu Lagoon) in Hokkaido, Japan. Clam feeding behavior should affect material circulation in this lagoon owing to their high secondary productivity (ca.