Oceans serve as a sink for carbon. This means that carbon from the atmosphere is stored in the oceans. However, a distinction is made between organic and inorganic carbon. The organic carbon bound in marine sediments is also a source of oxygen. Until now, it has been common practice to determine the mass balance between inorganic and organic carbon—but this method is considered inaccurate.
Click here for original story, New method helps clarify the global organic carbon cycle
Source: Phys.org