The natural coastal ecosystems of seagrasses, tidal salt marshes, and mangroves sequester and store large quantities of “blue” carbon in both the plants and in the sediment below them. These ecosystems are being degraded and destroyed at a rapid pace along the world’s coastlines, resulting in globally significant emissions of carbon dioxide into the ocean and atmosphere and contributing to climate change.

 

The International Blue Carbon Initiative is the first integrated program focused on mitigating climate change by conserving and restoring coastal marine ecosystems globally. The Initiative is led by Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Initiative works with partners from national governments, research institutions, NGOs, coastal communities, intergovernmental and international bodies and other relevant stakeholders.

 

There is a need to consolidate the growing information and key leaders and projects that exist on blue carbon and within the Initiative. The most effective way to accommodate this growth is to develop a website that provides a professional platform for fostering international understanding and exchange of blue carbon knowledge and projects supported by the Initiative.