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Protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems that serve as natural marine carbon sinks, such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and tidal marshes, can be a significant measure for countries around the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change, according to a by the 脰办辞-滨苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟 and the Leibniz Center for Marine Tropical Research on behalf of the German Environment Agency (UBA). 鈥淪eagrass meadows, mangrove forests and salt marshes can absorb and store up to 216 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year worldwide,鈥� the 脰办辞-滨苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟 . Over millennia, they have formed an enormous store in the marine sediment of up to 22 billion tonnes of 鈥渂lue carbon鈥�, i.e. carbon that can be absorbed and stored by marine organisms. These blue carbon ecosystems also contribute significantly to the preservation of biological diversity in the seas and on the coasts, help protect against storm surges and ensure sustenance and security of millions of people.

"The ecosystems on the coasts and in the oceans are often still given far too little attention," said Judith Reise of the 脰办辞-滨苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟 and one of the report鈥檚 authors. 鈥淯nfortunately, many countries do not yet include these important carbon sinks in their greenhouse gas balances.鈥� Doing so allows monitoring of carbon flows in coastal ecosystems and makes human influence on them visible. 鈥淭his also creates more incentives to protect these important ecosystems from harmful influences that in many cases lead to greenhouse gas 别尘颈蝉蝉颈辞苍蝉.鈥�

Several international partnerships on blue carbon have emerged in recent years aimed at researching, restoring and enhancing coastal and marine ecosystems. Among them is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, also known as the Helsinki Commission or HELCOM, which comprises Germany, Russia, the EU, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. HELCOM aims to protect the Baltic Sea from land, air and sea pollution, conserve habitats, protect biodiversity and ensure the sustainable use of marine resources.