Blue Carbon Ecosystems: Assessing the Contributions of Mangroves and Coastal Wetlands to Carbon Sequestration and Coastal Storm Protection
Keywords:
blue carbon, mangroves, coastal wetlands, carbon sequestration, storm protection, climate change mitigation, nature-based solutionsAbstract
Mangrove forests, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows—collectively termed “blue carbon” ecosystems—store disproportionately large quantities of organic carbon relative to their global areal extent while simultaneously buffering coastlines from storm surge, wind-driven waves, and erosion. Despite occupying less than two percent of the ocean surface, these habitats are estimated to account for a substantial share of long-term carbon burial in marine sediments, and their continued loss represents both a climate liability and a growing coastal-hazard exposure for hundreds of millions of people. The dual role of blue carbon ecosystems in climate change mitigation and coastal protection. A structured literature review was combined with a comparative secondary-data analysis of carbon-stock estimates, sequestration rates, historical area change, and economic valuation studies drawn from global and regional assessments. Findings indicate that mangroves hold the highest per-hectare carbon density among vegetated coastal habitats, that global mangrove area has declined by more than twenty percent since 1980 despite a recent slowing of loss rates, and that intact mangrove belts avert tens of billions of US dollars in flood damage annually while protecting millions of coastal residents. The paper further identifies aquaculture conversion, agricultural expansion, and unplanned coastal development as the dominant drivers of habitat loss, and discusses emerging blue carbon crediting mechanisms as a financing pathway for conservation and restoration. The paper concludes that integrating blue carbon ecosystems into national climate strategies and coastal-defense planning offers a comparatively low-cost, co-benefit-rich complement to engineered infrastructure, provided that monitoring, tenure, and financing gaps are addressed.
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