Blue carbon is the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems. including seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, kelp forests, and tidal salt marshes. These ecosystems sequester and store large quantities of blue carbon in both the plants and the sediment below. They are some of the most effective carbon sinks on Earth. But that also means that they can release that carbon if the system gets destroyed or degraded, in the process releasing carbon dioxide that would further contribute to global climate change. It is of the greatest importance that we protect and restore these ecosystems.

These ecosystems also provide essential benefits for climate change adaptation, including coastal protection and food security for many coastal communities: Read more about Blue Carbon in this IUCN issues Brief.

THE BLUE CARBON INITIATIVE

A coordinated, global program focused on mitigating climate change through the conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems. The Blue Carbon Initiative works to protect and restore coastal ecosystems for their role in reducing the impacts of global climate change. To support this work, the Initiative is coordinating the International Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group and International Blue Carbon Policy Working Group, which provide guidance for needed research, project implementation, and policy priorities.