A “carbon sink” is defined as a part of the Earth, such as a forest or ocean, that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The main natural carbon sink in the world would be the ocean. They can also be referred to as a carbon reservoir.
These carbon sinks cycle carbon between the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere. Although not as prevalent as the ocean, mangrove forests can store carbon in large amounts compared to other ecosystems.
Also named “Tiny But Mighty,” these mangroves store carbon within the soil where they are rooted into the ground. This article from Climate Central demonstrates the means of how this element is stored. It assesses mangroves along the West Coast and in Mexico.
Looking into the relevance of this issue, the amount of carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution has increased drastically. This means that since then, carbon has been absorbed by the Earth’s mangrove forests.
So, the next time you start up your car, just think of where those CO2 emissions are going.
A View on Climate 