Conserving and Restoring Blue Carbon Ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes are powerful natural climate solutions. These blue carbon habitats capture and store vast amounts of carbon while shielding shorelines, supporting marine biodiversity, and strengthening food security in climate-vulnerable regions. Yet they are disappearing due to development, pollution, and other human activities. Protecting and restoring these ecosystems is critical for both climate action and community resilience.

Read on to discover how these ecosystems help stabilize the climate and learn about the practical steps we can take to conserve them.

Key Takeaways Blue carbon conservation and restoration hold huge potential for climate mitigation and adaptation. Effective planning and policy guide how coastal areas are managed and help scale up restoration. Community involvement drives success, creating local jobs and ownership in conservation. Tourism can support blue carbon ecosystems if growth and visitor activity are carefully managed. Funding channels such as carbon offsets, impact funds, and tourism-linked revenues direct investment toward restoration.

Blue Carbon’s Climate-Fighting Potential

Healthy coastal ecosystems are among the planet’s most efficient carbon sinks. Despite covering only a fraction of the ocean floor, they store twice as much carbon per acre as land-based forests. Their waterlogged soils trap carbon-rich sediments that remain buried for centuries. When these ecosystems are destroyed, they release the stored carbon back into the atmosphere.

In recent years, investment in blue carbon research and solutions has grown. Studies estimate that 43 to 103 million acres (18 to 42 million hectares) of coastal ecosystems could be restored to their original state. Achieving this could remove up to 841 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to approximately 2.5% of global fossil fuel emissions.

How to Protect and Restore Coastal Ecosystems

To safeguard the climate and biodiversity benefits that blue carbon ecosystems provide, we must halt their loss and accelerate their recovery. Below are strategies that communities, governments, businesses, and travelers can implement to conserve and restore mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes.

• Low-Impact Development: Coastal development should be designed to minimize disruptions to blue carbon ecosystems. This includes implementing zoning laws, setting coastal buffer zones, and designing resorts and infrastructure that coexist with mangroves, wetlands, and seagrass beds..
• Minimizing Pollution: Improving wastewater treatment, reducing agricultural runoff, and promoting eco-friendly boating practices help protect fragile coastal ecosystems. Even small actions, such as using reef-safe sunscreen, reduce chemical stress on seagrass.
• Ecotourism and Immersive Education: Guided tours, kayaking excursions, and interpretive signage can raise awareness among travelers and locals alike about the value of mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes. Firsthand experiences, such as watching turtles feed on seagrass or paddling through a mangrove tunnel, build support for conservation.
• Sustainable Tourism Practices: When visiting coastal destinations, be sure to engage in sustainable tourism to prevent physical damage to the plants. For instance, avoid touching, standing, or anchoring on seagrass. Choose travel providers that adhere to low-impact practices.
• Community-Based Conservation: Engaging communities in ecosystem protection ensures that conservation efforts are equitable, locally supported, and long-lasting. Environmental training, alternative livelihoods, strengthened land rights, and paid roles in restoration or monitoring all foster local ownership.
• Legal Protection: Establishing legally protected areas can help prevent harmful activities in vulnerable zones. However, regulations must be backed by strong enforcement and public awareness to ensure protection goes beyond a paper designation.
• Restoration Projects: When ecosystems are damaged, restoration such as replanting mangroves or transplanting seagrass can help recover carbon stocks and ecosystem services. Successful projects pair science with local knowledge and community involvement.

Blue Carbon Examples in Action

Successful blue carbon restoration projects can be found around the world. Below are a few examples of how communities, governments, and tourism businesses are taking action. 

In Kenya, the Mikoko Pamoja project is protecting 290 acres (117 hectares) of mangroves on the southern coast and restoring degraded beach areas by engaging villagers through education, replanting efforts, and forest monitoring. By nurturing mangroves that serve as fish nurseries, the project supports local fishing-based livelihoods, It also funds community initiatives in education and health through the sale of carbon credits, giving residents a direct incentive to conserve their forests.

In the Maldives, Six Senses launched a seagrass conservation initiative, securing pledges from nearby resorts to protect nearly 25 acres (10 hectares) of meadows. The effort combined a practical guide for resorts, a social media campaign highlighting seagrass as a habitat for fish and turtles, and guest experiences such as snorkeling and educational walks. This project demonstrates how tourism can directly support awareness and conservation.

In the Philippines, the Bakhawan Eco-Park began as a 120-acre (50-hectare) mangrove rehabilitation project led by the government and a local NGO to reduce flooding. It now spans 550 acres (220 hectares) of restored forest. The park attracts visitors for mangrove walks and boat tours, generating income for local businesses. 

Scaling and Funding Blue Carbon Solutions

Policy and Enabling Conditions

Many coastal and island countries now include blue carbon protection in their national climate strategies. Strong targets and policies provide clear direction and coordination. They also help countries attract large-scale funding and investment for blue carbon projects. 

Sectors such as tourism can align with these efforts by developing destination climate action plans that incorporate coastal ecosystem protection. They can also define smart growth strategies that guide where and how tourism development occurs. This helps prevent overtourism pressures by ensuring that waste management keeps pace with visitors, that fragile habitats aren’t overcrowded, and that infrastructure expansion is carefully managed.

Seychelles exemplifies how policy and planning work together. The country has pledged to protect 100% of its mangrove and seagrass ecosystems by 2030 under the Paris Agreement and is finalizing a Blue Carbon Policy to turn this commitment into action. In addition, a carrying capacity study conducted by Sustainable Travel International guides how tourism growth is managed. 

Public and International Climate Finance

Public and international climate finance institutions are increasingly prioritizing coastal restoration. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), for example, has funded blue carbon projects in India and Ecuador that strengthen coastal community resilience.  

Article 6 enables countries to trade emission reductions, allowing one country to purchase reductions achieved by another. This creates a cost-effective way to meet climate targets while channeling climate finance to developing nations, helping address the injustice of a crisis they did little to cause. 

Impact Investment and Blended Finance Models

Blended finance models combine public funds, philanthropic capital, and private investments to help finance larger restoration and conservation efforts. Examples include blue bonds and impact funds. 

Blue bonds are ocean-focused loans that fund conservation and restoration, allowing investors to earn returns while backing environmental goals. Several destinations, including the Seychelles, Fiji, and Belize, have adopted this approach.

Impact funds are targeted investments that are expected to have both environmental and social returns. For example, the Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund (BCAF) for example, provides early-stage funding and technical assistance to help de-risk projects and attract private investment.

Tourism-Linked Revenue Streams

Tourism can also provide a steady source of conservation funding. This is especially valuable in destinations where coastal tourism is a central part of the visitor experience. Eco-taxes, conservation-focused lodging, visitor fees for activities like mangrove kayaking, and blue carbon offsets are all effective strategies. 

In Panama’s Bocas del Toro, Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge protects blue carbon ecosystems through low-impact design. Only eight of its 200 acres are developed; the rest is a private nature reserve that guests help fund through their stays. Visitors can kayak quietly through mangrove channels, and snorkel over seagrass meadows where turtles graze. Elevated walkways protect the forest floor, and the resort uses minimal, low-toxicity cleaning products.

Blue Carbon Credits and Offsets

Companies and individuals can also support blue carbon conservation by purchasing carbon offsets, also known as carbon credits. Blue carbon credits fund projects that are scientifically verified to reduce emissions by either protecting existing blue carbon ecosystems or restoring degraded ones. Most are community-based, creating benefits for local people and offering a financial incentive for communities to take part in long-term conservation. 

In Italy’s Venetian Lagoon, the Valle Paleazza project is restoring traditional fishing valleys that function like natural wetlands. Using traditional water management and ecological restoration, it is revitalizing salt marshes and seagrass meadows that store carbon and protect against flooding. 

Sustainable Travel International offers blue carbon credits as part of our diverse portfolio that also includes forestry, energy, and innovative climate tech solutions.

Multi-Stakeholder Efforts

Blue carbon restoration is most impactful when it involves investment and collaboration from multiple stakeholders, including governments, tourism businesses, NGOs, and local communities. Collaboration helps align objectives and pool resources, increasing the effectiveness of restoration efforts.

One example of this collaborative approach is the Malizia Mangrove Park in the Philippines, where more than 2 million mangroves have been planted. Local students and forest managers run nurseries, scientists guide species selection, community members are hired for planting, and companies worldwide contribute through donations.

Take Action to Conserve Coastal Ecosystems

Everyone can play a part in protecting and restoring blue carbon ecosystems. Here are a few ways to get started:

• Offset Your Travel Emissions: Use our carbon calculator to estimate your travel emissions and purchase carbon credits that support blue carbon conservation and other verified climate projects. We also offer business solutions for companies seeking to implement carbon offset programs.
• Travel Responsibly: Download our Sustainable Marine and Coastal Tourism Tips guide to learn practical ways to help safeguard ocean habitats.
• Empower Your Business: Join our membership program to access tools, training, and educational resources that will help your company advance its climate goals and drive lasting change.

Together, we can help preserve these ecosystems and the benefits they provide for tourism, coastal communities, and the planet.