 The Arctic shelf contains a vast amount of carbon stored in permafrost, which is estimated to be twice as much as found in terrestrial permafrost. This carbon is locked away for millennia due to its cold and salty environment, but it could potentially be released into the atmosphere if temperatures rise or the ice melts. However, the rate at which this carbon is decomposed by microbes is limited, meaning that even if temperatures increase, the release of carbon dioxide will not be significant. This article was authored by F Minor, PP Overdoing, G Gross, and others.