Abstract Carbon (C) storage in lakes is now recognized as a significant sink of C at a global scale, but the pathways that lead to this storage remain poorly understood.

The gap

Consensus across the literature

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Shoreline exposure controls teal carbon accumulation in boreal lakes (2026) · doi

  While research on coastal marine environments has expanded in recent decades, freshwater vegetated shorelines remain understudied despite their potential for significant carbon burial.

  Keywords: coastal marine environments expanded recent decades freshwater vegetated shorelines remain understudied despite potential significant carbon
• Low organic carbon burial efficiency in arctic lake sediments (2014) · doi

  While there are indications of highly efficient carbon burial in high‐latitude lakes, the magnitude and efficiency of carbon burial in arctic lake sediments, and thus their potential as carbon sinks, has not been studied systematically.

  Keywords: carbon burial there indications highly efficient high latitude lakes magnitude efficiency arctic lake sediments thus
• Estuarine Sediments Exhibit Dynamic and Variable Biogeochemical Responses to Hypoxia (2019) · doi

  Predicting whether sediments are sources or sinks of ecologically and climatologically relevant nutrients and gases remains elusive, particularly for shallow coastal regions.

  Keywords: predicting whether sediments sources sinks ecologically climatologically relevant nutrients gases remains elusive particularly shallow coastal
• Linking organic carbon sedimentation, burial efficiency, and long‐term accumulation in boreal lakes (2014) · doi

  Abstract Carbon (C) storage in lakes is now recognized as a significant sink of C at a global scale, but the pathways that lead to this storage remain poorly understood.

  Keywords: storage abstract carbon lakes recognized significant sink global scale pathways lead remain poorly understood