Image from conservation.org taken by Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock.
What are blue carbon ecosystems and why are they important?
Mangroves, saltmarsh and seagrasses are referred to as blue carbon ecosystems. They are ‘mega’ carbon storers, at 6 to 8 Mg per hectare. This increased carbon storage is where blue carbon ecosystems get their name! When these ecosystems are degraded, much of this carbon is lost and cycled back into the atmosphere and water. Carbon sequestration and conservation of carbon stores can significantly control global warming, and so lots of current research on these ecosystems is focused on how to protect them from degradation. We do this through monitoring possible impacts upon blue carbon systems and we work hard to produce strategies to protect them. This has the added benefit of informing market evaluations of carbon storage. So, the more precise our monitoring, the higher the value of the ecosystem!