“Blue Carbon Reservoirs from Maine to Long Island NY” Report is now available | US EPA
BOSTON (Aug. 8, 2023) – Today, EPA New England announced the release and availability of a report (pdf) (2.5 MB) that maps “blue carbon” along the northeastern coast.
Blue carbon is the term used to describe carbon stored in coastal and marine salt marshes, seagrass, and mangroves. These aquatic habitats are much more efficient at accumulating/sequestering carbon than terrestrial habitats. An acre of forest will have less sequestered carbon in its soil than the equivalent acre of seagrass, salt marsh or mangrove.
“Healthy, growing seagrass and salt marshes are key to pulling carbon out of the atmosphere where we don’t want it, and storing it in vibrant coastal ecosystems, where we do want,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “These ecosystems are important nursery habitats for many commercial fish and shellfish species. They are also the first line of defense against coastal flooding, which often impacts disadvantaged communities first and worst. The findings from this…
