Blue Carbon

Global program focused on mitigating climate change through coastal ecosystem conservation. The three blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass, salt marshes) cover ~49 million hectares globally but sequester carbon at rates far exceeding terrestrial forests: mangroves absorb 23-38 tCO2/ha/yr in planted stands, salt marshes accumulate ~9 tCO2e/ha/yr in mature systems, and seagrass buries ~1.2 tCO2e/ha/yr. Mangrove soils alone store 570-4,217 Mg CO2e/ha. 151 countries contain at least one blue carbon ecosystem, 71 contain all three. Degradation of these systems releases an estimated 1.02 GtCO2/yr, roughly 19% of tropical deforestation emissions.

TNC and Conservation International aiming to conserve and restore 16.9M hectares of mangrove, marsh, and seagrass by 2050. At current mangrove conservation costs (~$290/ha median), the economic case is compelling: these ecosystems store 607-1,494 Mg CO2e/ha and seagrass meadows hold 11% of buried ocean organic carbon despite covering just 0.1% of the seafloor. Beyond carbon, mangroves reduce flood risk for ~15 million people/yr and avoid over $65 billion/yr in storm damage. Restoration credit prices ($26/tCO2e for mangroves in 2023) signal growing market support for scaling these efforts.

Community-powered coastal ecosystem restoration. Kelp, mangrove, seagrass, coral, and watershed projects.

Carbon credit standards specifically for blue carbon projects. Blue carbon ecosystems cover less than 0.2% of ocean surface but sequester carbon at 10x the rate of terrestrial forests. High-quality blue carbon credits command $25-30/tCO2e, a premium over the VCM average of $6.53/t. Credits represent less than 1% of the voluntary carbon market, signaling massive headroom as methodologies mature.

BIPOC youth ages 17-20 from coastal communities learn blue carbon ecosystem science. Hands-on professional development.

Models conservation and restoration costs across nine countries ($90-$297,000/ha range depending on ecosystem and intervention). Maps where blue carbon credits are financially viable against current voluntary market prices of up to $29.30/tCO2e.

181-page standardized manual (with Conservation International and IUCN) for measuring biomass, soil carbon, and emissions in mangroves, marshes, and seagrass. The field standard for blue carbon MRV methodology.