Occurrence and Carbon Sequestration Implications of Black Carbon in Coral Sands of the South China Sea: Evidence from Weizhou Island and Yongle Atoll

Chen Meiqi; Wang Jingyu; Zhang Ruijie; Wu Yang; Peng Wentuan; Wang Minrui; Ye Quanfa; Sun Zhuolong; Xian Aihua; Yu Kefu

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Chen Meiqi，Wang Jingyu，Zhang Ruijie, et al. Occurrence and Carbon Sequestration Implications of Black Carbon in Coral Sands of the South China Sea: Evidence from Weizhou Island and Yongle Atoll[J]. Haiyang Xuebao，2026, 48(x)：1–13

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Occurrence and Carbon Sequestration Implications of Black Carbon in Coral Sands of the South China Sea: Evidence from Weizhou Island and Yongle Atoll

1.
Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea/Coral Reef Research Center of China/School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
2.
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China

Received Date: 2026-01-18
Rev Recd Date: 2026-04-07

Available Online: 2026-05-07

Abstract

Abstract

Black carbon (BC), an inert organic carbon primarily produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or biomass, constitutes an important stable carbon sink when buried in marine sediments. Current research on sedimentary BC largely focuses on muddy or sandy deposits, while highly calcareous coral sands have received limited attention. In this study, using hydrochloric acid pretreatment to remove carbonate interference, the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) molecular marker method was applied to systematically investigate the occurrence characteristics of BC in coral sands from the nearshore Weizhou Island and the offshore Yongle Atoll in the South China Sea. The results demonstrate that BC is ubiquitous in coral sands. The BC content at Weizhou Island is significantly higher than at Yongle Atoll, exhibiting a spatial pattern of being higher in nearshore and lower in offshore areas, which indicates that terrestrial input is the dominant source of BC at Weizhou Island. BPCA composition reveals that biomass burning serves as a regional background source affecting both areas; however, influenced by nearshore anthropogenic activities, Weizhou Island is superimposed with strong high-temperature combustion inputs, such as fossil fuels, resulting in a higher degree of aromatic condensation. Grain-size analyses suggests a dynamic behavior characterized by “initial release followed by re-adsorption” of BC during the fragmentation of coral sands. This study demonstrates that coral sands serve as an effective burial medium for BC. Preliminary estimates indicate substantial black carbon sequestration fluxes, which is of great significance for comprehensively evaluating the carbon sink function of coral reef ecosystems.
- Black carbon,
- Coral sand,
- Carbon sink,
- Benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs),
- Weizhou Island,
- Yongle Atoll

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References(57)

References

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