Trawling threatens vital carbon stores in Scotland's sea lochs

New research from the University of St Andrews shows that disturbing seabed sediments through trawling could cause significant losses of carbon stored in Scotland's sea lochs. The study, published in Marine Environmental Research, shows that organic carbon stored in seabed sediments can be released into the surrounding seawater when disturbed. This carbon is then more likely to be broken down and ultimately returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change.