MEMS leads the way in push for “blue carbon” capture

A Marine Estate Management Strategy project is at the forefront of a new global push to increase carbon capture by restoring coastal wetlands. Read on to find out more about this exciting new “blue carbon” project …

We’ve all heard of our forests being used to capture carbon, but did you know mangroves and saltmarshes are the world’s most efficient places to sequester carbon?

Mangroves can capture two to four times more carbon per hectare and store it 30-50 times faster than land-based forests.

Given this incredible ability to capture and store carbon, coastal environments that support mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses and seaweeds are known as “blue carbon” ecosystems.

DPI Fisheries in collaboration with Wollongong University has just released Australia’s first state-wide assessment of blue carbon storage.

The study, titled the Blue Carbon Prioritisation Report assessed the blue carbon storage potential of areas across coastal NSW and identified the areas most suitable for re-establishing coastal wetlands.

DPI Fisheries Manger Patrick Dwyer said the benefits of investing in wetland restoration for blue carbon were numerous.

“Not only do mangroves and saltmarshes capture carbon at a far superior rate to other forest types, but they also provide essential nurseries for fish, improve water quality and protect our shores from erosion,” Mr Dwyer said.

“Restoring tidal flow where they have been blocked allow mangroves and saltmarshes to re-establish and grow vegetation that captures and stores more carbon per hectare than land-based forests” he said.

Australia is considered a global ‘blue carbon hotspot’ harbouring about 12 per cent of the World’s blue carbon ecosystems, which hold about 5-11 per cent of global carbon stock.

University of Wollongong Professor Kerrylee Rogers led the research that underpinned the report.

“Areas were prioritised for blue carbon based not only on their potential to store carbon once reverted to wetlands, but also based on their current land use, habitat restoration benefits and the practicality of reverting coastal areas to wetlands in coming years,” she said.

“We identified approximately 60 km ² of high blue carbon potential area in NSW where natural tidal flows could be restored leading to the restoration of coastal wetlands,” Professor Rogers said.

“With low elevation areas across NSW becoming increasingly vulnerable to impacts of rising sea level, developing a blue carbon market may provide an alternative income stream for landholders of these areas,” she said.

The Blue Carbon Prioritisation Report was funded by the NSW Government under the Marine Estate Management Strategy.

It forms part of our Marine Vegetation Strategies project, which works on mapping, protecting and rehabilitating NSW mangrove and saltmarsh (blue carbon) systems to improve fishing, water quality, protect our foreshores and capture carbon.

If you’re interested to learn more about blue carbon and its importance to NSW, check out the NSW Blue Carbon Strategy released in September by the Department of Planning and Environment. This report features some of the MEMS Blue Carbon projects.

You can find out more about our Blue Carbon project (or Marine Vegetation Strategies project) at the project profile page or check out the published scientific paper of the work here.