Climate change is real and affecting the planet increasingly fast. Several new and urgent methods of preservation and conservation have come up, of which a key area of attention is ‘blue carbon’. Researchers, marine scientists and conglomerates have all turned to blue carbon, which they believe can be key in preserving the planet.
What is blue carbon?
Blue carbon refers to carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems. Algae, seagrasses, macroalgae, mangroves, and tidal and salt marshes in coastal wetlands are highly productive in separating carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in sediment, roots, branches etc for thousands of years if undisturbed.
The “big three” stores of blue carbon – mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass – are getting urgent attention for preservation. These ecosystems are carbon storage powerhouses and can store up to 10 times as much carbon as forests, researchers said. Seagrass is very effective and can bury carbon 35 times faster than rainforests. While rainforests can store carbon for decades, seagrass can store carbon for millennia if undisturbed.
How does blue carbon help?
Healthy blue carbon ecosystems also provide habitat for marine species, support fish stocks and food security, sustain coastal communities and livelihoods, filter water flowing into oceans and reef systems, and protect coastlines from erosion and storm surges.
Where are the ecosystems found?
Blue carbon ecosystems are found on every continent except Antarctica and cover approximately 49 million hectares, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has said in a report.
Why is blue carbon under threat?
These ecosystems are also the most threatened as farming, fishing, development and pollution continue to degrade them rapidly. Preserving them are expensive and difficult and disturbing them could release vast greenhouse gas emissions into earth.
Which countries are helping conserve blue carbon?
Blue carbon mangrove projects are in development or under way in Kenya, Senegal, Madagascar, Vietnam and the Sunderbans in India. Each aims to reduce emissions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2 a year, The Guardian reported.
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