Coastal Wetlands: Powerful Ecosystems in Need of Protection

Did you know that coastal wetlands, like mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, can absorb carbon and store it for hundreds of years? Mangrove forests alone are able to store 3-5 times more carbon per acre than other tropical forests. Woah.

Not only do they play an important role in carbon sequestration , but they buffer communities and shorelines by acting as a natural barrier to floods, storm surges, and rising seas.

Despite their power and potential, they are also some of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. In the last century, we’ve destroyed at least half of our coastal wetlands. Now countries around the world have the opportunity to both protect these valuable ecosystems and, at the same time, help fulfill their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.