Is peat accumulation in mangrove swamps influenced by the “enzymic latch” mechanism?

Mangrove swamps accumulate a significant amount (45–98 %) of organic carbon in sediments; however, there is a knowledge gap in explaining the mechanism behind this. Through the analysis of substrate samples from a red mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle ) swamp in southwest Florida, USA, this study investigated whether the “enzymic latch”, which suppresses decomposition in northern peatlands, is prevalent in mangrove soils. Laboratory analyses were performed to investigate the four hypotheses of the “enzymic latch”. Results showed that under aerobic conditions mangroves soil samples have significantly higher phenol oxidase activity (two-fold, p