Priority questions for the next decade of blue carbon science
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03020-6

"The term ‘blue carbon’ has transitioned from a scientific concept to a formal component of climate policy. Introduced in 2009, it initially referred to the carbon captured and stored by rooted coastal vegetated ecosystems, including mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses, characterized by high organic carbon accumulation rates and large, persistent soil carbon stocks1. Since then, research and policy have increasingly focused on the manageability of these three blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs), particularly how their conservation and restoration can support climate mitigation by enhancing carbon capture and avoiding emissions from their degradation or loss, while also delivering adaptation co-benefits such as coastal protection and biodiversity support. With growing data availability, the scope of blue carbon science has broadened to consider additional ‘emerging’ BCEs (for example, macroalgal forests and tidal flats) with potential relevance for climate mitigation."

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"Despite this substantial progress, underrepresented and emerging BCEs remain excluded from global frameworks, markets and natural capital accounting107. Expanding research to verify their effectiveness in delivering a wide range of ecosystem services will be critical for refining natural capital accounts and ensuring that BCE co-benefits and trade-offs are accurately represented."

#OpenAcess #Ecology #BlueCarbon