Kettle holes are small, pond-like depressional wetlands (< 1 ha), and they are interspersed in the young moraine landscape of NE Germany, which is heavily used for agriculture. Kettle holes are strongly linked to their surrounding catchments, i.e. they function as sinks for terrestrial organic matter, nutrients and soils. On the other hand, kettle holes mostly undergo pronounced wet-dry cycles, which may drive the biogeochemical transformations in the sediment. Consequently, they are believed to act as biogeochemical hotspots in the landscape. Nutrient concentrations, gross primary production (GPP) and sediment deposition rates were determined for two permanently water-filled kettle holes situated in agricultural fields on a monthly basis. Furthermore, the isotopic footprint (δ13C, δ15N) together with C:N ratios of sedimentary organic matter was analyzed from sediment cores of 51 kettle holes within a 40 km2 wide study area. These kettle holes represent the hydrogeomorphological variability and comprise of different hydroperiod types (i.e. water holding period over the year) and land use. From these multiple lines of analyses, we characterize kettle holes as important carbon sinks in agricultural landscapes that are potentially sensitive to changes in land use, hydrology, and climate.