The future of carbon offsetting lies beyond saltmarshes, seagrass and mangroves

Aug 8, 2022

Removing several hundred billion tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere is now considered necessary to avert the worst effects of climate change. Image: Unsplash/Bre Smith

Phil Williamson

Honorary Reader, University of East Anglia

Jean-Pierre Gattuso

Research Professor, CNRS, Iddri, Sorbonne Université

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Restoring ocean life

Burrowing organisms disturb and mix younger and older layers, causing errors in the carbon dating process. Image: Stephanie Nolte/University of East Anglia

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What is the World Economic Forum doing on blue carbon?

Turning an oil palm plantation back into a mangrove forest or flooding a coastal area to make a saltmarsh should help the land accumulate carbon. Image: Judith Rosentreter/Southern Cross University

Mediterranean seagrass encrusted with coralline algae and worms with carbonate shells.

Shelled worms and coralline algae produce CO₂ when making their calcium carbonate covering. Image: David Luquet/CNRS & Sorbonne Université

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