~ 1 ~ WWJMRD 2024; 10(11): 1-6 www.wwjmrd.com International Journal Peer Reviewed Journal Refereed Journal Indexed Journal Impact Factor SJIF 2017: 5.182 2018: 5.51, (ISI) 2020- 2021: 1.361 E-ISSN: 2454-6615 Jagadish Mandal Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Nagaraj Narayan Sannabhadti Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Prosenjit Pramanick Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Subhra Bikash Bhattacharyya Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Sufia Zaman Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Abhijit Mitra Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Correspondence: Nagaraj Narayan Sannabhadti Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, India. Spatio-temporal Variations of Carbon Stock in Peat Soil of Shrimp Ponds: A Case Study from Indian Sundarbans Jagadish Mandal, Nagaraj Narayan Sannabhadti, Prosenjit Pramanick, Subhra Bikash Bhattacharyya, Sufia Zaman, Abhijit Mitra Abstract This study investigates Peat Soil Organic Carbon (PSOC) dynamics across ten stations in the Indian Sundarbans that experienced shrimp farming and subsequent mangrove restoration. Using the Walkley- Black method, we observed significant increases in PSOC levels from 1994 to 2024. The results exhibited significant spatio-temporal variations of PSOC between the stations and years, which may be attributed to magnitude/complete absence of shrimp farming in the region. The gradual hike in PSOC values underscores the importance of mangrove restoration programs in mitigating climate change and restoring degraded ecosystems. Keywords: Indian Sundarbans, Peat Soil Organic Carbon (PSOC), shrimp farming, eco-restoration. 1. Introduction Mangrove ecosystems are crucial for coastal resilience, acting as one of the most efficient carbon sinks due to their exceptional capacity for carbon sequestration, particularly through Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) storage [6-7, 13, 15-17, 19-20] . However, extensive aquaculture practices, preferably shrimp farming, have led to the widespread conversion of mangrove forests, resulting in notable environmental degradation and a significant loss of soil carbon [11, 14] . The global trend of mangrove deforestation for shrimp aquaculture has greatly diminished soil carbon storage, effectively reversing these ecosystems' function as carbon sinks [1, 4, 9, 10] . In the Indian Sundarbans, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, the practice of shrimp farming expanded rapidly during the late 1980s and early 1990s, leading to substantial mangrove loss. By 1994, vast areas of mangroves were cleared to establish shrimp ponds, causing reduced SOC levels in these regions [18] . In response, an afforestation initiative was launched in 2000 to rehabilitate these abandoned shrimp ponds and restore the mangrove ecosystem. SOC levels in these areas have shown significant recovery since the afforestation program began, highlighting the restoration potential of such degraded ecosystems. Peat soil in shrimp ponds experiences substantial changes in SOC due to inadequate management practices. SOC levels often decline over time as organic matter oxidizes under aerobic conditions during pond water aeration and pond drying phases. Peat soils within shrimp ponds undergo extensive SOC depletion due to inefficient pond management practices. As the ponds dry, aerobic conditions lead to oxidation of organic matter in the soil, further decreasing SOC levels over time. Moreover, intensive shrimp farming can exacerbate SOC depletion through increased microbial activity and nutrient leaching. The accumulation of shrimp feed and waste fosters heightened microbial activity, accelerating SOC losses within the soil. Since the implementation of this afforestation program, which we firmly believe as nature-based solution, SOC levels in the area have shown substantial recovery, highlighting the potential for ecosystem restoration in these degraded landscapes. This study expands on prior work by analysing SOC recovery across ten stations in the Indian Sundarbans, each with a history of shrimp farming followed by afforestation efforts initiated World Wide Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development (November-2024)