Blue Carbon

We love to talk all things carbon at PandaHQ – what it is and most importantly, how can we reduce the amount of carbon in our atmosphere. The first thing that probably springs to mind is planting more trees and taking extra good care of our existing forests, because we all know that trees LOVE to absorb CO2 and produce oxygen, but have you heard about Blue Carbon?

What’s big and blue and wet all over?

10 panda points if you said the ocean! Did you know the ocean and coastal ecosystems produce between 50-80% of all the oxygen on earth – massive right! Not only this, but it also absorbs 4x the amount of CO2 as the Amazon Rainforest, hence the name, Blue Carbon.

You probably know by now that all the carbon dioxide we produce is changing the world’s climate, and not in a good way, but what you might not know is that our oceans and coasts provide a natural way of reducing these emissions.

Ecosystems such as sea grasses, mangroves and wetlands capture and store carbon, acting as what is known as a ‘carbon sink’. The carbon that is absorbed is stored below ground for thousands and thousands of years! They can be found on every continent (except Antarctica, it's far too cold there) and cover approximately 49 million hectares.

To ensure this carbon stays stored in the ground, we must protect these systems, as when they are damaged, a huge amount of carbon is released back into the atmosphere (which we definitely don’t want!). Despite their importance, blue carbon ecosystems are some of the most threatened on earth, being degraded or destroyed at a rapid rate.

Protecting our coasts and oceans is a really important way to fight climate change - when we protect the carbon in these coastal systems, we also protect habitats and spaces for us all to enjoy.

Ways you can help to protect the blue carbon ecosystem:

• Advocate for sustainable fishing practices
• Support ‘no fish zones’ by signing petitions – a few good ones can he found here!
• Reduce your plastic consumption
• Protect and respect coastlines whilst travelling
• Reduce your liquid waste

Had you heard about blue carbon before? Let us know in the comment section below!