Blue carbon refers to carbon captured by marine and coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, coastal wetlands, and seagrasses. Coastal ecosystems sequester carbon at a much faster rate than terrestrial ecosystems, and the carbon stored belowground can remain in place for decades to millennia if undisturbed by humans or extreme events. Conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems can play a role in reducing carbon dioxide accumulations in the atmosphere by increasing sequestration of blue carbon.
