Organic matter content and particle size modifications in mangrove sediments as responses to sea level rise

Mangroves sediments contain large reservoirs of organic material (OM) as mangrove ecosystems produce large quantities and rapidly burial OM. Sediment accumulation rates of approximately 2.0 mm year−1, based on 210Pbex dating, were estimated at the margin of two well-developed mangrove forest in southern Brazil. Regional data point to a relative sea level (RSL) rise of up to ∼4.0 mm year−1. This RSL rise in turn, may directly influence the origin and quantity of organic matter (OM) deposited along mangrove sediments. Lithostratigraphic changes show that sand deposition is replacing the mud (<63 μm) fraction and OM content is decreasing in successively younger sediments. Sediment accumulation in coastal areas that are not keeping pace with sea level rise is potentially conducive to the observed shifts in particle size and OM content.

► Mangrove systems are sites of rapid organic matter (OM) burial. ► A sediment core was collected at the margins of two mature mangrove forests. ► 210Pbex sediment accumulation rates of 2.0 mm were estimated for both sites. ► Recorded increases in sand and decreases in OM upcore during the past ∼100 years.