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The natural flow properties of the Yangtze River have been changed completely following the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. The dam's operation has affected the resources and environment in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, changing the hydrological conditions and ecological environment of the Dongting Lake. During three different dispatching periods of the reservoir, we took triplicate samples of the river and lake water. All the samples were analysed for δ(2)H and δ(18)O to determine the relationship between the lake and the Yangtze River (and other rivers), and to evaluate objectively the influence of the dam's operation on the lake. During the period of water-supply dispatch, the Four Rivers and Miluo River are the main recharge sources of the lake. During the flood-storage dispatching period, the Dongting Lake is recharged largely by the Three Outlets and the Four Rivers, whereas during the period of water-storage dispatch, most of the lake's water originates from the Miluo, Xiang, Zi, and Yuan rivers. Although the Yangtze River only contributes significantly to the lake's recharge through the Three Outlets during the flood-storage dispatching period, the lake discharges large amounts of water into the Yangtze River during all three periods. Through the operation of the reservoir, it should be ensured that the water level of the Dongting Lake is not too low during the dry season, nor too high during the wet season, thus preventing the lake region from future flood and drought disasters.

We quantified whether pore‐water exchange flushes out saltmarsh sediment carbon, driving carbon outwelling into the ocean and outgassing into the atmosphere. Radon‐derived pore‐water exchange released 1.8 times more sediment carbon in the wet than in dry season. Both crab burrow flushing and delayed seepage of surface water infiltrating sediments during the spring tide released sediment carbon to surface waters. The outwelling flux of dissolved inorganic carbon exceeded dissolved organic carbon. Carbon dioxide and methane emissions were 169 and 0.25 mmol m−2 d−1, respectively. Pore‐water carbon fluxes exceeded carbon outwelling. This requires some carbon processing within the saltmarsh (e.g., degradation or outgassing to the atmosphere) before pore‐water carbon is exported to the ocean. Overall, pore‐water exchange and outwelling are key components of saltmarsh carbon budgets and should be considered when assessing their carbon sequestration potential and strategies to mitigate climate change.

Saltmarshes are a blue carbon ecosystem accumulating large quantities of organic carbon in sediments. Some of this carbon can be transformed into dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and methane (CH 4 ) that may eventually be exported to the ocean or atmosphere. Although extensive studies have quantified specific components of the carbon budget such as carbon burial, limited attention has been given to pore-water-derived carbon and total alkalinity (TA) exports to the ocean. Here, we quantified lateral exports to the ocean (outwelling) of 202 AE 160 and 78 AE 75 mmol m À2 d À1 of DIC and TA, respectively. The TA : DIC concentration ratio in the creek waters was $ 1, implying TA production from anaerobic mineralization in sediments. The lateral TA exports were comparable to the local (94 AE 48 mmol m À2 d À1 ) and national ($ 50 mmol m À2 d À1 ) organic carbon burial. High TA exports could locally increase the ocean buffering capacity and contribute bicarbonate to the coastal ocean, acting as a long-term carbon storage. Pore water traced by radon contributed 28-37% and 58-69% of DIC and TA exports. Separating the two major DIC components (i.e., CO 2 emissions and alkalinity exports) is essential to resolve the carbon sequestration potential from saltmarshes. Here, dissolved CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere accounted for 3-5% of total DIC outwelling. CH 4 emissions played a minor role offsetting around 0.3 to 6% of the carbon sequestration. Overall, we demonstrate that alkalinity export into the ocean can be an overlooked carbon sequestration pathway in saltmarshes at rates comparable to carbon burial.

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