Custodians of the globe’s blue carbon assets

Over the last decades scientists have discovered that seagrass meadows, tidal marshes, and mangroves – “blue carbon” ecosystems – are among the most intensive carbon sinks in the biosphere. By sequestering and storing significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and ocean, blue carbon ecosystems help mitigate climate change. But conversion and degradation of these ecosystems can also release billions of tons of CO2  and other greenhouse gases into the ocean and atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

Partially protected areas are often proposed as a way to bolster marine life and to improve people’s enjoyment of the ocean—neither of which seems to be happening. Photo by Kai Egan/Alamy Stock Photo
In the Push for Marine Conservation, Partially Protected Areas Are a “Red Herring”

Compared to fully safeguarded marine protected areas, partially protected areas have little benefit for marine life or people’s enjoyment...an in-depth study of MPAs along Australia’s southern coast shows that these partially protected reserves are largely ineffective—both for protectin

The environmental group says bottom trawling, in which heavy weighted nets are dragged over the seabed to catch fish, is ploughing up the sensitive seabed habitat for which the area is protected. Pictured, boulder dropped from Esperanza on Tuesday. Credit - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Greenpeace builds an underwater 'boulder barrier' to stop damaging fishing in a protected area of the English Channel

Greenpeace activists have built a new underwater 'boulder barrier' in a protected area of the English Channel to stop a hugely harmful fishing practice. In total 18 boulders, each weighing about three tonnes and carrying the name of a celebrity endorser, were dropped this week from the