New technology has been installed to track how much carbon is being taken out of the atmosphere by Scotland's largest saltmarsh. The flux tower has been put in place at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth.
Corallie Hunt, coastal habitats adviser for NatureScot, stated that the installation of Scotland's first saltmarsh flux tower marks an "important milestone". The project is a partnership involving the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), the Scottish government, NatureScot, and WWF-UK.
Annette Burden, a UKCEH wetland scientist, noted that the Solway flux tower is the most northerly addition to a network around the UK coast. The data collected is expected to help understand the role saltmarshes play in climate mitigation and provide evidence for their inclusion in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
Saltmarshes support biodiversity, provide natural flood protection, and their plants draw down carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. They can also trap carbon-rich sediments in their roots and stems.