Scientific Advances and Future Trends in Ocean Carbon Sink: An Interdisciplinary Review

Hanbing Wei¹Yuncheng Deng²U.P.K Epa³Branson D Belle⁴Bibhya Sharma⁵Haiwen Zhang⁶Haoxuan Sa^7*

• ¹Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
• ²Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
• ³University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
• ⁴The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, Five Islands village, Antigua and Barbuda
• ⁵The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
• ⁶Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
• ⁷China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China

Ocean carbon sink is an emerging and interdisciplinary research area that plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle. This paper reviews recent scientific advancements in ocean carbon sink research, focusing on the mechanisms for capturing, utilizing, and sequestering atmospheric CO2, and highlights its contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Using bibliometric analysis based on CiteSpace and data from the Web of Science and Scopus, we examine research hotspots and topic evolution through country collaboration, journal co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence networks. The findings show that ocean carbon sink research is shaped by complex scientific uncertainties and the integration of multiple disciplines. Current research hotspots include scientific advances, technological innovation, and governance challenges related to sustainable development. In general, recent studies emphasize the role of carbon sink, the value of nature, and the importance of precautionary management. This paper underlines the need for coordination between scientific and social dimensions of carbon sink functions, and it draws attention to the ethical aspects of carbon sink governance. It advocates for multi-stakeholder participation, precautionary governance, and policy-based financial system to support climate resilience and foster the sustainable development of the oceans.