Carbon Capture and Storage: Seabed
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the carbon emitted from disturbance of carbon stores on the seabed.
Answered by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Cefas published a technical briefing in February 2026 on how human activities and climate change affect seabed carbon. The briefing explains that the result of disturbing seabed carbon depends on its reactivity, which varies according to its source, mineral associations and microbial activity. Around 10-35% of English seabed carbon stocks are considered reactive, with higher proportions in coastal and offshore areas. Stable seabed carbon will likely remain stored following disturbance, while reactive carbon may break down and release dissolved inorganic carbon into the water column. Further research is needed to understand how much of this carbon reaches the atmosphere.
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