Year: 2026 | Month: November | Volume: 13 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 64-81
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20261106
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Dynamics in Tropical Mangrove Ecosystems: The Roles of Tidal Exchange, Porewater, and River-Coast Connectivity
Muhammad Kasim1, Dewi Wahyuni K Baderan2, Hasim3
1,2,3Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Graduate School, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: Muhammad Kasim
ABSTRACT
Mangrove ecosystems influence coastal carbon cycling through organic-carbon storage and lateral transport of dissolved constituents. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is a major component of these transfers, but its sources, hydrological pathways, and downstream fate vary among settings. This narrative literature review synthesizes evidence assembled through Scopus-based backward-reference and forward-citation tracking around an established review published in 2022. Studies were evaluated across four themes: DIC production and source attribution, porewater exchange, tidal and seasonal forcing, and river–mangrove–coastal connectivity. The literature shows that DIC in mangrove creeks reflects sediment mineralisation and carbonate-related reactions as well as external inputs from catchments and groundwater. Tidally driven porewater flushing and submarine groundwater discharge can transfer substantial DIC to creeks and estuaries, but the direction and magnitude of net exchange depend on local hydrology, geomorphology, and observation period. Individual ecosystems exhibit both DIC export and net DIC import. DIC concentration, total alkalinity, partial pressure of CO₂, and atmospheric CO₂ exchange represent different measurements and cannot be substituted for lateral DIC fluxes. After reaching coastal waters, DIC may undergo mixing, biological transformation, and air–water CO₂ exchange or continue offshore; transport does not establish long-term storage. An integrated conceptual framework distinguishes carbon provenance, internal production, hydrological transfer, and coastal fate. Comparable source-resolved budgets, consistent system boundaries, and observations spanning tidal, seasonal, and disturbance timescales are needed to assess mangrove contributions without equating lateral export with permanent sequestration.
Keywords: Dissolved inorganic carbon; Mangrove ecosystems; Porewater exchange; Tidal dynamics; Submarine groundwater discharge; Lateral carbon export; River–coast connectivity
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