Blue carbon for biodiversity and climate action

What is blue carbon?

Protecting Europe’s blue carbon ecosystems can help the EU meet its climate neutrality goals. The infographic shows a coastal scene highlighting: tidal marshes that offer flood protection but are often drained for human development; seagrass that captures high amounts of carbon but is disappearing due to climate change and destructive fishing practices; mangroves that are being rapidly lost to land development; red algae maerl beds that have the highest carbon sequestration of all marine ecosystems; fast growing kelp forests threatened by overfishing and climate change; and seabeds where buried organic matter can be disturbed by bottom trawling and dredging.

C stores by the seashore

Ecosystems-based sustainable management can help restore healthy carbon sequestration. Disturbing these habitats, even the seabed itself, releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere. The infographic shows how many tonnes of carbon on average are stored in each hectare of various blue carbon habitats, based on the best available data. Maerl beds: 620 tonnes per hectare. Mangrove forests: 468; Wetlands: 244; Lophelia reefs: 100; Seagrass beds: 35; Kelp forests: 7; Sediment: 5.25; Shellfish beds: 0.68. By way of comparison, forests store 115 tonnes of carbon per hectare on average.

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Last update: 4 June 2024

Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/454789-blue-carbon-for-biodiversity-and-climate-action

European Union, 2025