Insight - Re-carbonising South-East Asia’s blue carbon ecosystems

Coastal organic matter layers can be up to 6m deep compared with terrestrial soil organic matter that typically reaches up to 30cm in depth. Mangroves have thus emerged as the most absorptive ecosystem for lowering the amount of atmospheric carbon. (A lone visitors strolled along the pathway at a mangroves area at Mangroves Forest Education Centre in Sungai Acheh. - Filepic)

BLUE carbon is carbon dioxide (CO2) that is sequestered in coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows, which work as a single system to keep coastal zones healthy.

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCE) cover only 2% to 6% of the surface area covered by terrestrial forests but store more carbon per unit area than terrestrial forests because of deeper organic matter layers.

Coastal organic matter layers can be up to 6m deep compared with terrestrial soil organic matter that typically reaches up to 30cm in depth. Mangroves have thus emerged as the most absorptive ecosystem for lowering the amount of atmospheric carbon.