Coastal Carbon Powerhouses
How mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses sequester carbon faster than rainforests
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Section 1 of 5The Ocean's Hidden Carbon Vaults
Blue carbon ecosystems—mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows—cover less than 2% of the ocean floor yet account for 50% of carbon buried in marine sediments.
Unlike terrestrial forests where carbon cycles rapidly through decomposition, coastal wetlands trap organic matter in waterlogged, oxygen-poor sediments. Decomposition slows to a crawl. Carbon accumulates for centuries.
Per hectare, these ecosystems sequester carbon 5-10× faster than tropical rainforests. A single hectare of restored mangrove can remove 6.5 tons of CO₂ annually while providing storm protection, nursery habitat for fisheries, and water filtration.
🌳 Terrestrial Forests
- •0.5-2 t CO₂/ha/yr sequestration
- •Carbon mostly in aboveground biomass
- •Rapid decomposition releases CO₂
- •Vulnerable to fire and logging
🌊 Blue Carbon Ecosystems
- •3.7-6.5 t CO₂/ha/yr sequestration
- •90% of carbon stored in sediments
- •Anoxic conditions preserve carbon
- •Storage duration: 1,000+ years
Interactive Coastal Ecosystem Explorer
Select an ecosystem and explore its layers from surface to sediment
Surface Layer
Dense canopy with aerial roots creating protective coastal barriers
- •Tidal flooding tolerance
- •Salt filtration through roots
- •Nursery habitat for fish
💡 Why "Blue" Carbon? These coastal ecosystems sequester carbon in waterlogged sediments where decomposition is 10-50× slower than on land due to anoxic (low oxygen) conditions. This creates long-term carbon storage spanning centuries to millennia.