On December 10, 2024, at the Pierre and Marie Curie Campus in Paris, Johanna Jupin, doctor in marine sciences, received the Thesis Publication Prize awarded by the Ocean Institute – Alliance Sorbonne University. This distinction highlights the scientific quality and presentation of an article from his doctoral thesis, which explores the role of mangroves in the carbon cycle.
Studying the role of mangroves in carbon storage
Johanna Jupin’s research was carried out under the co-direction of Abdel Sifeddine, former IRD representative in Mexico – a country which is home to one of the largest areas of mangroves in the world, the subject of her studies. These are indeed ecosystems rich in biodiversity, but weakened by rapid urbanization and environmental changes. His work, carried out on three sites with varied climatic and hydrological conditions, aimed to understand how these ecosystems could act as sinks or sources of CO₂. Despite a reduction in the surface area of mangroves over the decades, analyzes carried out showed that they continued to efficiently store carbon, in particular thanks to the accumulation of sediments rich in organic matter coming from terrestrial erosion, but also from the intensification of continental inputs from human activities (e.g. deforestation, changes in land use, etc.). This carbon forms stable reserves when it accumulates in mangroves, which makes them important allies in limiting the effects of climate change.
Implications for conservation
This research highlights the resilience and capacity of mangroves to maintain their ecological functions despite global pressures. However, it also highlights the need to strengthen their protection.
In Mexico, although a large part of mangroves are included in protected areas, additional efforts are necessary to guarantee their long-term conservation. Johanna Jupin is investing in this perspective, notably by supporting a reforestation project in the state of Sinaloa, carried out with the local association Humedales Sustentables AC
Scientific and social recognition
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