Restore & Protect Blue Carbon Ecosystems

Blue Carbon is a term used to describe powerful ocean ecosystems - mangroves, seagrass and tidal marshes - that are carbon storage powerhouses. They are being lost at alarming rates so restoring and protecting these ecosystems is a priority in the fight against the climate crisis.

But there is hope. While mangroves alone have lost 8,120 km2 of coastal land over 6,630 k3 considered highly restorable. In addition, scientists have identified 1,389 km2 of degraded mangroves where a full recovery can be expected to bring restorable areas located across 106 countries and territories.

Across the planet, we have lost seagrass and tidal marshes. Seagrass alone sequesters up to 34 times more CO2 than terrestrial forests. It is imperative that we restore and protect these natural solutions to the climate crisis.

Project Zero is creating a suite of long-term mechanisms that will provide ongoing sources of funding to restore these important ecosystems that will go a long way to turning the tide on the climate crisis.

  • Blue carbon ecosystems sequester two to thirty five times more carbon than terrestrial forests and are championed by scientists as a nature-based solution to climate change.

  • Mangroves are being chopped down for coastal development, seagrass meadows destroyed from bottom trawling and ship anchors, and tidal marshes filled with land for building. In some cases, this not only eliminates these essential carbon capturing mechanisms but also creates more CO2. When taking out mangroves they release all the CO2 absorbed in their roots. It's essential that we restore and protect these priceless ecosystems to battle the climate crisis.

  • Project Zero is creating long-term funding mechanisms to protect and restore blue carbon ecosystems around the world.

    All our priority projects incorporate scientific research, site-based demonstrations, and policy reform, as well as educating stakeholders about the opportunity and value coastal wetlands can provide as a natural climate solution.

2,110,125,875 barrels of oil burned can be offset by restoring blue carbon ecosystems.

EPA