Major new source of carbon loss discovered along Virginia’s eroding barrier islands
Photo of Wreck and Ship Shoal Islands courtesy of Gordon Campbell, AtAltitudeGallery.com
Coastal landscapes facing the combined threats of sea-level rise and erosion are at risk of a diminished, fleeting blue carbon stock
Coastal ecosystems are highly regarded for their potential to combat climate change through storage of organic carbon (carbon bound within organic matter like plant roots), which consequently reduces the carbon available to transform into planet-warming carbon dioxide. Researchers from William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science have, for the first time, assessed a more complete picture, quantifying the seaside erosion of backbarrier lagoon and peat deposits along Virginia’s Atlantic Coast. Published today in Nature Communications, the new study counters the traditional understanding about vegetated ecosystems dominating the coastal storage of carbon. In addition, the study determines that the erosion and landward migration of the barrier islands along the Virginia Eastern Shore not only leads to an extremely rapid rate of carbon erosion—releasing 26.1 Gigagrams of organic carbon annually—but also entails potential trouble for the continued ability of the entire system (with all its salt marshes, seagrass beds, and lagoons) to function as a net sink for carbon.
Last modified: November 19, 2025
