Linking Inland Waters and Mangrove Carbon: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends (2000–2024)

This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research on the linkage between inland waters and mangrove carbon, aiming to identify conceptual bridges within the emerging blue carbon continuum. Using data from Scopus and visualized through VOSviewer, co-occurrence and co-authorship network analyses revealed four major thematic clusters—mangrove-sediment processes, land use-soil carbon, global carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services—along with one bridging cluster connecting rivers, wetlands, estuaries, and organic carbon. These results highlight the ecological and scientific continuum from terrestrial to coastal systems, emphasizing the underexplored role of estuaries and deltas as transitional carbon sinks. Collaboration mapping shows that research remains concentrated in developed countries, while tropical regions, particularly Southeast Asia, are emerging as new research hubs. The study identifies major knowledge gaps, including the limited integration of carbon fluxes across ecosystems, insufficient modeling and remote-sensing synthesis, and weak socio-economic linkage in policy frameworks. Overall, this research contributes to advancing an integrative understanding of inland-coastal carbon dynamics, offering both a scientific foundation and a methodological roadmap for ecosystem-based climate mitigation aligned with the SDGs and national climate commitments.