Accumulation of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon during cyanobacterial blooms in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu: insights into the microbial carbon pump

The pronounced RDOC enrichment in eutrophic lakes compared to non-eutrophic lakes, rivers, and marine systems underscores the potential of eutrophic lakes to function as significant carbon sinks, highlighting the necessity of integrating bloom-driven RDOC accumulation into carbon budget frameworks to reassess the long-term carbon sequestration potential of these systems.