Written By: It is well known that forests help fight climate change, but ocean and coastal ecosystems are also highly effective carbon sinks. Blue carbon refers to the carbon that is captured and stored by coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes.
Blue carbon ecosystems are found on every continent except Antarctica, covering approximately 126 million acres (51 million hectares) of coastline. Although they cover less area than forests, blue carbon ecosystems are more efficient at locking away carbon. Pound for pound, blue carbon ecosystems can absorb carbon up to 10 times faster than forests. Much of this carbon is in their soils, where it decomposes slowly, allowing blue carbon ecosystems to store twice as much carbon per equivalent area.
Blue carbon ecosystems also protect coastal communities from the harmful impacts of climate change, such as rising seas and flooding. Additionally, they provide important habitats for birds, marine life, and land animals, and support diverse, interconnected food webs.
Yet even as blue carbon ecosystems gain attention for their role in climate mitigation and adaptation, they’re being destroyed at an alarming rate. It is estimated that the rate of loss of coastal ecosystems is twice that of terrestrial forests: 0.03 – 1% of their total area is lost every year.
Read on to learn more about the different blue carbon ecosystems, how they lock away carbon, the benefits they provide for communities and wildlife, what’s putting them at risk, and how you can support their conservation.
Key Takeaways
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Types of Blue Carbon Ecosystems
Three main types of ecosystems account for the vast majority of blue carbon storage: mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes. In the sections below, we’ll look at what makes each of these habitats unique and where they’re typically found.
Mangroves
What is a Mangrove?
Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees or shrubs that grow in the intertidal zone of tropical and subtropical coasts where land meets the sea. They’re easily recognized by their sprawling, tangled roots, which rise above the ground and water. Scientists currently recognize about 80 mangrove species and their hybrids, though efforts are ongoing to refine this classification and reach a consensus on a definitive list.
Mangrove Adaptations
Mangroves are hardy plants that thrive in harsh coastal environments where they’re regularly flooded during high tide. They rely on several unique adaptations to survive these conditions, which help them stay rooted in waterlogged soil, withstand waves, and cope with high salt and low oxygen levels. These adaptations include:
- Sturdy Roots: Mangroves’ stilt-like roots anchor them in soft, shifting soil, keeping them stable even when submerged under water.
- Breathing Roots: Their above-ground roots help them “breathe” in oxygen-poor soils.
- Salt-Filtration: While saltwater would kill most other trees, mangroves are specially adapted to filter it out. Some species can block up to 90% of the salt at the root level, while others excrete it through special glands on their leaves.
- Floating Seedlings: Unlike most plants, mangrove seeds start to sprout while still attached to the parent tree. The young seedlings eventually fall off, float in the water, and take root in a new spot.
Where Mangroves Grow
Mangroves cover more than 56,000 square miles (147,000 square kilometers) of the Earth’s surface – an area roughly the size of Nepal. Southeast Asia holds one-third of this total, while Indonesia alone accounts for 21% of the world’s mangroves. The largest mangrove forest in the world is the Sundarbans, which spans over 3,700 square miles (9,600 square kilometers) across southern Bangladesh and eastern India.
Mangroves can’t survive freezing temperatures and are typically found in warmer climates. Today, they naturally grow as far north as Bermuda (32.36°N) and as far south as Victoria, Australia (38.90°S). As climate change causes global temperatures to rise, their range is expanding into areas that were once too cold for them to inhabit. In the United States, for example, mangroves were previously found only as far north as Florida. In 2024, they were documented in southern Georgia, growing 50 miles (80 kilometers) beyond their former range.
Mangrove Loss
However, even as mangroves expand into higher latitudes, their overall global coverage continues to decline. An estimated 20–35% of the world’s mangrove forests were lost between 1980 and 2010. While the rate of loss has slowed in recent decades, it hasn’t stopped. Over the past two decades, approximately 1.67 million acres (677,000 hectares) of mangroves were lost. Although some of this was offset by the establishment of new mangrove areas, there was still a net global decline of 702,000 acres (284,000 hectares) during that period.
Today, half of the remaining global mangrove area is at risk of collapse. One in five mangrove ecosystems is classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN, indicating a severe risk.
Seagrass
What is Seagrass and How is It Different from Seaweed?
Seagrass is a type of aquatic flowering plant that grows fully submerged in shallow coastal waters. Despite its name, seagrass isn’t a grass, but it’s not seaweed either.
Seagrass is a true flowering plant that has roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds, just like plants on land. Its closest relatives are lilies and orchids. Seagrass absorbs nutrients from the seafloor through its roots, while algae like seaweed lack roots and instead take in nutrients directly from the surrounding water through their entire surface.
Though not true grasses, seagrass gets its name from its green grass-like leaves. There are approximately 72 known species of seagrass, which vary in shape, size, and location. They are commonly known by names like eelgrass, turtle grass, shoal grass, and manatee grass. While some seagrass leaves look like flat blades of grass, others are shaped like ovals, fern fronds, or even long spaghetti noodles.
In some places, seagrass grows densely clumped together and carpets large areas of the seafloor. These ecosystems are known as seagrass beds or meadows.
Seagrass Adaptations
Seagrasses are the only flowering plants that spend their life completely submerged in the ocean. Several adaptations enable them to do this, including an extensive network of roots and rhizomes. Rhizomes are underground stems that grow sideways, sending out roots and shoots as they spread. This helps anchor the plants in the soft, unstable sediments, such as sand, where they grow. The rhizomes also send out vertical shoots that enable the seagrasses to expand over large areas. Roots and rhizomes account for approximately 60% of the biomass of the plant, demonstrating just how important they are to seagrass survival.
Seagrasses have flat, ribbon-like, flexible leaves and stems that bend with water movement. This enables them to move rather than break when experiencing tidal movements and waves. They also have air-filled tissues that store oxygen and help them float, and high salt tolerance.
They reproduce both sexually, using water currents to carry their pollen, and asexually through the spread of rhizomes. The rhizomes send up new shoots, which then turn into independent plants that are clones of the parent plant. This process can enable some species to grow over large areas for thousands of years.
Where Seagrass Beds Are Found
Seagrass is found in shallow, coastal marine and brackish environments along coastlines worldwide, except in Antarctica. They cover an area of approximately 116,000 square miles (300,000 square kilometers), which is around 0.1% of the ocean floor.
Like all plants, seagrass needs sunlight to perform photosynthesis and so only grows in clear, shallow waters.
Seagrass Loss
Nearly a third of seagrass meadows have vanished since records began. Throughout the past century, human pressures drove steady declines of about 1–2% each year, with the rate of loss accelerating in recent decades to 7% annually. While some areas are seeing an increase in seagrass, the total amount lost was nearly 12 times greater than the area gained.
The IUCN categorizes 21% of species as Near Threatened, Vulnerable, or Endangered. Together, this makes seagrass one of the most vulnerable and least protected coastal ecosystems in the world.
Salt Marshes
What Are Salt Marshes?
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are regularly flooded with salty seawater brought in by the tides. Salt-tolerant plants, such as grasses, sedges, and reeds, sprout up from the soggy ground, painting the landscape with shades of gray, brown, and green. Their deep, mucky soils are composed of mud and peat, the latter of which is a spongy material made of decomposing plants.
Salt marsh plants are regularly covered by the tides and must withstand stresses such as salty water, heat, and low oxygen in wet soils. Because water levels vary across the marsh, different areas face different challenges. This creates natural “zones,” each with plant species specially suited to handle the conditions in that area.
Salt marsh plant adaptations include glands in the leaves that secrete excess salt and a strong root system that anchors the plants in place, providing protection against the waves.
Where Are Salt Marshes Found?
Salt marshes are found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica and are estimated to cover between 5.4 and 99 million acres (2.2 and 40 million hectares). They are most common in temperate climates and at higher latitudes, typically in sheltered locations.
Salt Marsh Decline
Globally, salt marshes are declining, having lost between 25 and 50% of their global historical coverage. Between 2000 and 2019, there was a global net salt marsh loss of approximately 560 square miles (1,452 square kilometers), which is the same as approximately one soccer field of salt marsh being lost every hour during the same time period.
Salt marshes have varying conservation statuses depending on where they are found, the plants and animals they support, and the rate of habitat degradation. This means that some are listed as threatened or endangered, while others are considered more stable. For example, the Yellow Sea tidal flats, shared by China, North Korea, and South Korea, are listed as an endangered ecosystem on the IUCN Red List due to widespread loss.
Carbon Storage and Climate Mitigation
As their name implies, blue carbon ecosystems capture carbon dioxide. They convert it into organic biomass via photosynthesis, storing it in their leaves, branches, roots, and soils. By removing carbon from the atmosphere, mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes play an important role in mitigating the global climate crisis.
Why Blue Carbon Ecosystems Store So Much Carbon
Blue carbon ecosystems hold more carbon per unit area than most green carbon systems (forests and other land-based plants). They do this for two main reasons:
- Their plants grow quickly, sequestering large amounts of carbon dioxide in the process.
- Their waterlogged, oxygen-poor soils lock carbon away for exceptionally long periods.
While forests store most of their carbon in living biomass, blue carbon ecosystems keep the majority in their soils. For example, seagrass meadows and salt marshes often store more than 95% of their carbon underground. Green carbon systems are also more vulnerable to disturbances, such as fire, drought, and agriculture, which can rapidly release their stored carbon.
In coastal soils, oxygen scarcity slows the breakdown of dead plant matter. This allows carbon to build up and remain buried for thousands of years, sometimes up to six meters deep. Similar processes occur in teal carbon ecosystems, such as peatlands and freshwater swamps, which also accumulate long-lived soil carbon reserves.
Together, blue carbon ecosystems store around 12 billion metric tons of carbon worldwide, and each year they add an additional 81 million metric tons of carbon to their soils.
How Different Ecosystems Store Carbon
Mangroves are exceptional carbon sinks because they trap carbon in three complementary ways. Their dense canopies and woody biomass capture and hold large amounts of carbon above ground. At the same time, their sprawling root networks slow tidal waters, trapping carbon-rich sediments that would otherwise be swept away. Once trapped, this material becomes buried in oxygen-poor soils, locking away the carbon centuries or longer.
Seagrasses also pull carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, but their real strength lies in the hidden root and rhizome networks that anchor them to the seafloor. Their dense blades slow currents, causing carbon-rich particles to settle, while the underground structures stabilize the sediments and help carbon steadily build up in the seafloor.
Salt marshes capture carbon not just from living plants, but from the steady accumulation of organic debris. Plant roots and tidal channels trap sediments and decaying matter, which over time form thick, mucky soils rich in carbon. Because these wetlands are waterlogged and oxygen is scarce, decomposition happens slowly, allowing vast amounts of carbon to remain buried for centuries.
How Scientists Measure Blue Carbon
Scientists employ a range of techniques to measure blue carbon stocks, including field measurements, remote sensing data, and modeling techniques.
Field studies involve collecting sediment from coastal ecosystems to analyze carbon content and determine the rate of carbon storage, while remote sensing uses satellite and drone imagery to map the areas these environments cover and estimate biomass. Scientists can then use this data to model the overall carbon storage capacity of mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds.
Co-Benefits and Ecosystem Services Beyond Carbon
In addition to mitigating climate change, blue carbon ecosystems nurture both land and marine biodiversity and support human well-being. Below are a few additional reasons why blue carbon ecosystems are important.
Habitats and Food for Animals
Habitats and Food for Animals
Mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes provide critical habitats for a wide range of marine and coastal wildlife.
The dense, intertwining roots of mangroves act as sheltered breeding and nursery grounds, protecting fish and shrimp from larger predators. The shrubby trees are also home to oysters, barnacles, sponges, and anemones, which cling to the submerged roots. Pelicans build their nests at the top of mangrove trees, while lobsters burrow into the muddy soil.
Seagrass beds shelter smaller animals, such as pipefish and tiny seahorses, which use their camouflage to blend in with the blades. Salt marshes support a variety of mammals and birds, including herons, egrets, and otters. Around the world, they serve as key nesting grounds and stopovers for massive bird migrations. Each year, 10 to 12 million waterbirds pass through the salt marshes of the Wadden Sea – a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark – to rest and feed.
Beyond providing shelter, blue carbon ecosystems are also an important food source. Animals like dugongs, manatees, and sea turtles graze on seagrass leaves. Dugongs are nicknamed “sea cows” for a reason – an adult can eat up to 88 pounds of seagrass in a day, equivalent to the weight of about 50 heads of lettuce.
Even after plants die, these ecosystems continue to nourish marine life. Crabs feast on fallen mangrove leaves, while decomposing seagrass provides nutrients for worms, sea cucumbers, and filter feeders.
Coastal Protection and Erosion Control
As climate change drives up the intensity of tropical storms and rising seas, the risk of coastal flooding and destruction is increasing. The vegetation that fringes shorelines acts as a natural barrier, helping to defend coastal communities from these impacts.
Mangrove roots stand strong against crashing waves and storm surges. A 100-meter stretch of mangroves can reduce the height of waves by up to 66%. It is estimated that mangroves protect 15 million people from flooding each year and avoid more than $65 billion of property damage. These numbers will only grow as climate impacts worsen.
Salt marshes may not be as burly, but their grasses and plants effectively reduce the power of smaller waves. Their peat soils act like a giant sponge, soaking up water and preventing flooding.
Beyond flood protection, mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes also stabilize shorelines. Their roots and rhizomes hold sediment in place, preventing erosion and maintaining the shape of coasts and beaches.
Livelihoods and Economic Benefits
Currently, more than 600 million people live near the world’s coasts. These communities depend heavily on the ocean for both income and food security. Many make their living from fishing and rely on seafood as an affordable source of protein. In the Maldives, for instance, the population relies on seafood for more than three-quarters of its protein.
Healthy blue carbon ecosystems are essential for maintaining the fish stocks that sustain coastal communities and the commercial fisheries that supply the global market. Many fish species spend their earliest days sheltered among mangrove roots and seagrass blades, where they are protected from predators and can find an abundance of food. In fact, nearly 95% of commercial fish species depend on coastal habitats at some stage in their life cycle. When these ecosystems are destroyed, fish lose these safe nurseries, and their populations inevitably decline.
Blue carbon ecosystems also play a crucial role in maintaining water quality. They act as natural filters, removing pollution, excess nutrients, and sediment from the water. This not only prevents harmful algal blooms and improves water clarity, protecting coral reefs and marine life. These services save taxpayers millions of dollars worldwide by reducing demand on municipal wastewater treatment. For example, salt marshes are estimated to save Galveston Bay, Texas, approximately $124 million in treatment costs.
Recreation and Tourism
Blue carbon ecosystems are captivating places to visit and explore. They offer stunning scenery, from mangrove tunnels to winding coastal channels, and are teeming with wildlife. These habitats invite activities such as birdwatching, kayaking, boat tours, and fishing. Because they support coral reefs and the broader marine food web, blue carbon ecosystems also form the foundation for world-class diving, snorkeling, and whale-watching adventures.
Beyond recreation, blue carbon ecosystems fuel local economies by supporting tourism jobs and related industries such as food and hospitality. In the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, where mangroves and seagrass are found, tourism contributes an estimated $4.4 billion to Florida’s economy annually.
Threats to Blue Carbon Ecosystems
Despite the numerous benefits that blue carbon ecosystems bring to people, nature, and the economy, they are among the most threatened ecosystems. Our world’s blue carbon ecosystems are rapidly shrinking in size, as up to 2.4 million acres are destroyed each year. The destruction of these vital coastal habitats is largely the result of development, agriculture, aquaculture, pollution, overharvesting of resources, and physical disturbances from boating and recreation.
- Coastal Development: Mangroves, seagrass, and wetlands are often removed or drained to construct resorts, golf courses, and other shoreline infrastructure. In the Caribbean, it is common for hotels to clear mangroves or seagrass to create “pristine” beaches and swimming areas for tourists.
- Boating and Trampling: Boat anchors and propellers also pose a danger to delicate seagrass beds. For instance, nearly a decade ago, a catamaran ferry ran aground in the Florida Keys, tearing up a seagrass meadow. Today, restoration is underway to heal the scarred seabed with thousands of newly planted shoots. Additionally, coastal vegetation is damaged by bottom trawling nets or when people repeatedly walk through shallow areas.
- Resource Extraction: Mangroves are a cheap source of fuel and durable building material, and are often cut down for their timber.
- Climate Change Impacts: Rising sea levels, stronger tropical storms, and warming ocean temperatures all threaten blue carbon ecosystems. Salt marshes can drown if sea levels rise too quickly, while heat stress and extreme weather events can damage mangroves and seagrass beds. In the Maldives, about 25% of islands with mangroves experienced a major die-off in 2020 due to salt stress, as rising seas outpaced the mangroves’ ability to grow and stay above water.
- Food Production: Coastal ecosystems are frequently cleared to make way for croplands, such as rice paddies and oil palm plantations, as well as aquaculture ponds, particularly shrimp farms.
- Water Pollution: Nutrient-rich runoff from agriculture, untreated sewage from coastal resorts, and discharges from boats all contribute to the formation of harmful algae blooms. These blooms—like the massive sargassum invasions seen in Mexico and the Caribbean—can smother seagrass beds. In high-use swimming areas, chemicals from sunscreen can accumulate, further stressing seagrass.
Consequences of Ecosystem Loss
When blue carbon ecosystems are degraded or destroyed, their enormous carbon stores are released into the atmosphere. Studies show that these ecosystems are being lost at a rate of 0.03 to 1% annually, releasing up to 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. That’s the same amount of carbon that is emitted by driving 2.6 trillion miles, or 104 million laps around the Earth.
The consequences aren’t only environmental but also economic. A study published in May 2025 warned that seagrass loss alone could lead to more than $200 billion in climate-related damages from the release of stored carbon.
Beyond the financial cost, the disappearance of vegetation leaves coastal destinations and communities unguarded against the powerful waves that strike their shores. If we continue on our current path of destruction, scientists warn that we could lose 30-40% of tidal marshes and seagrasses, and almost all of our mangroves, in the next 100 years.
Conservation and Restoration of Blue Carbon Ecosystems
To safeguard the climate and biodiversity benefits that blue carbon ecosystems provide, we must halt their loss and accelerate their recovery.
In recent years, investment in coastal ecosystem research has grown, with scientists highlighting their potential to mitigate climate change. Studies estimate that 43 to 103 million acres (18 to 42 million hectares) of coastal ecosystems could be restored to their original state. If achieved, this restoration could remove the equivalent of 2.5% of global fossil fuel emissions—about 841 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year.
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. Using reef-safe sunscreen in swimming areas also reduces 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. Experiencing the benefits of these ecosystems firsthand, such as watching turtles feed on seagrass or paddling through a mangrove tunnel, can shift perceptions and strengthen 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 companies 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. This could include training on sustainable resource management, developing alternative livelihood opportunities, strengthening land rights, direct payments for conservation, and roles such as monitoring or patrolling.
- 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 often pair science with local knowledge and community involvement.
Real-Life Examples of Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration
Examples of successful blue carbon restoration projects can be found around the world.
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 on seagrass as a habitat for fish and turtles, and guest experiences like snorkeling and educational walks. This project shows how tourism can directly support blue carbon awareness and conservation.
In the Philippines, the Bakhawan Eco-Park began as a 120-acre (50-hectare) mangrove rehabilitation effort to reduce flooding and now spans 550 acres (220 hectares) of restored forest. The park attracts visitors for mangrove walks and boat tours, generating income for local businesses while providing climate and coastal protection benefits.
Scaling and Funding Blue Carbon Projects
Policy and Enabling Conditions
Many coastal and island countries recognize that blue carbon ecosystems are important and have integrated their protection and restoration into their national planning and climate strategies. For example, Seychelles 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. Meanwhile, Samoa has set a goal of increasing its mangrove area by 5%.
Strong targets and policies provide clear direction and coordination. They also help countries attract large-scale funding and investment for blue carbon projects from a wide range of sources. Sectors like tourism can support national efforts by developing destination climate action plans that incorporate blue carbon and coastal ecosystem activities.
Public and International Climate Finance
Public and international climate finance institutions are beginning to prioritize coastal ecosystem restoration in their funding portfolios. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), for example, has funded blue carbon projects in India and Ecuador that strengthen the climate resilience of coastal communities.
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement also opens the door to new financing pathways through international cooperation. The mechanism allows countries to trade emission reductions, so one country can purchase reductions achieved by another. This creates a more cost-effective way for countries to meet their 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 combines public funds, philanthropic capital, and private investments to help finance larger restoration and conservation efforts. Some examples of blended finance models include blue bonds and impact funds.
Blue bonds are specialized loans for the ocean. A country, often with backing from multilateral institutions, borrows money from investors through a blue bond. But with a specific agreement: the money from this bond must be used to fund projects that protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems. This allows investors to support environmental goals while also earning a financial return. Several destinations, including the Seychelles, Fiji, and Belize, have adopted this innovative approach.
Impact funds are targeted investments that are expected to have both environmental and social returns. For example, the Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund (BCAF) uses public and philanthropic capital to provide early-stage funding and technical assistance to blue carbon projects, helping to de-risk them and attract larger private investments.
Tourism-Linked Revenue Streams
In addition to traditional public and private funding, tourism can serve as a long-term source of conservation revenue. This is especially valuable in destinations where coastal tourism is a central part of the visitor experience.
Strategies that can generate funding include eco-taxes, conservation-focused lodging, visitor fees from ecotourism activities such as mangrove kayaking or seagrass snorkeling, and blue carbon offsets.
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 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. Carbon credits are independently verified to ensure that emissions reductions are real and measurable, offering greater accountability and confidence in their impact. Learn more about how carbon credits and offsets work in our dedicated guide.
Every blue carbon offset project takes a unique approach, tailored to the local situation. For instance, the Mikoko Pamoja project is protecting 290 acres (117 hectares) of mangroves on Kenya’s southern coast and restoring degraded beach areas by engaging villagers through education, replanting efforts, and forest monitoring.
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.
Carbon offsets can be purchased through trusted providers, including Sustainable Travel International. When you offset your carbon with Sustainable Travel International, your contribution supports a diverse portfolio that includes blue and teal carbon, forestry, energy, and innovative climate tech solutions.
To get started, use our carbon footprint calculator to estimate the emissions generated by your travel and purchase carbon offsets equivalent to your footprint. We also offer solutions for tour operators, hotels, and other businesses seeking to implement their own carbon offset programs.
Multi-Stakeholder Efforts
Blue carbon restoration is usually more impactful when there is investment and involvement from multiple stakeholders, such as 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
There are many ways to get involved in protecting and restoring blue carbon ecosystems. One simple step is to offset your travel emissions by purchasing blue carbon credits that fund conservation projects. You can also download our list of sustainable travel tips to make your trips more eco-friendly.
For companies and organizations, going carbon neutral is another powerful way to act. Sustainable Travel International offers free resources such as the Sustainable Tour Design checklist and Climate Action checklist to guide your efforts. Organizations that join our membership program gain access to further educational resources and training, equipping you with the tools and knowledge to advance your climate goals and create a positive impact.
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