Sunday, September 28, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Marine

Exploring three frontiers in marine biomass and blue carbon capture

June 4, 2024
in Marine
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
65
SHARES
595
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

A new study offers first-time insights into three emerging climate innovations to safeguard or increase the carbon naturally captured by ocean and coastal ecosystems: rapid interventions to save the Great Barrier Reef, satellite-tracked kelp beds in the deep ocean, and seagrass nurseries in the United Kingdom. The research, published in Environmental Science & Policy and co-authored by leading climate scholars at Boston University, Aarhus University, and the University of Sussex Business School, advances knowledge of understudied interventions in marine habitat protection to manage greenhouse gas emissions. 

A new study offers first-time insights into three emerging climate innovations to safeguard or increase the carbon naturally captured by ocean and coastal ecosystems: rapid interventions to save the Great Barrier Reef, satellite-tracked kelp beds in the deep ocean, and seagrass nurseries in the United Kingdom. The research, published in Environmental Science & Policy and co-authored by leading climate scholars at Boston University, Aarhus University, and the University of Sussex Business School, advances knowledge of understudied interventions in marine habitat protection to manage greenhouse gas emissions. 

These climate change interventions, known as blue carbon, preserve or enhance marine and coastal ecosystems as valuable sources of carbon removal and storage. Currently, more than half of the world’s biological carbon is captured and stored by marine living organisms, which are threatened by acidification, temperature change, severe storms, and pollution. Previous studies have shown that improved management of these habitats could potentially arrest up to 10% of global emissions reductions needed to meet Paris Agreement targets. 

Expanding knowledge of potential solutions

While blue carbon solutions could reduce emissions, generate revenue, and advance conservation policy, questions remain around their efficacy and potential effects on sociopolitical systems.

“Compared to the robust history of studying soil and forest systems for carbon management, harnessing marine ecosystems in the fight against climate change is relatively new and remains unproven,” said Benjamin Sovacool, the study’s lead author and director of the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability, who is also affiliated with Aarhus University and the University of Sussex Business School. “As these emerging technologies are more widely deployed, it is essential that we develop a comprehensive understanding of their ties to cultural, political, and economic systems.”

Understanding each innovation

Drawing on 46 expert interviews, 38 site visits, and extensive document analysis, Sovacool and co-authors Chad M. Baum, Sean Low, and Livia Fritz of Aarhus University evaluated the social narratives, technology, and co-impacts of coral reef preservation in Australia, seagrass restoration in the United Kingdom, and seaweed cultivation and deep ocean storage in the United States.

Coral reef preservation in Australia supports blue carbon as coral tissues consume and capture carbon dioxide and bicarbonate. Through interviews with 23 local experts, the research team identified a narrative of crisis and collapse around saving the Great Barrier Reef as a national treasure. The narrative is also steeped in hope and moral urgency, motivating a willingness to explore a diversity of experimental and controversial new technologies — from genetic editing to cloud brightening. Positive co-impacts of reef preservation include more eco-tourism and better fisheries, while negative co-impacts include the potential for invasive species outbreaks.

Seagrass restoration captures carbon by directly growing biomass and trapping organic particles in the roots and sediments of seagrass meadows. The research team visited restoration efforts in the United Kingdom and conducted 12 interviews with seagrass experts from several universities, organizations, and the charity Project Seagrass. They discovered that narratives around restoration emphasize how unique, fragile, and distinct seagrass is, as well as its potential as an efficient and durable carbon store. Innovation in seagrass restoration requires broad, incremental advancements in knowledge around foundational marine science, botany, and data collection, which may make it relatively costlier and slower to implement. Potential benefits include improving water quality and cleanliness, promoting biodiversity and healthy fisheries, reversing acidification, and preventing coastal erosion. 

Seaweed cultivation reduces carbon by increasing biomass through growing massive kelp beds in the deep ocean. Following 11 interviews, most of them with employees at a United States-based startup, the researchers identified a narrative of advancing technological innovation and generating profit grounded in a duty to save the world’s oceans. Innovation is deliberatively non-participatory, driven by a small group seeking to rapidly and massively scale operations. Seaweed cultivation could increase food production, water quality, and waste treatment, but faces a lack of social acceptance and may lead to uncontrolled growth. 

Narratives, innovation styles, and co-impacts, plus contextual factors such as place, time, and cultural values, contribute to a given blue technology’s likelihood for success, the researchers conclude. The results of this study offer a glimpse into the future of blue carbon innovations, which the authors anticipate will be an increasingly relevant and popular area of scientific policy and discovery. 



Journal

Environmental Science & Policy

Article Title

The sociotechnical dynamics of blue carbon management: Testing typologies of ideographs, innovation, and co-impacts for marine carbon removal

Share26Tweet16
Previous Post

Teens treated unfairly by teachers more likely to have populist attitudes

Next Post

SNMMI Annual Meeting to take place June 8-11, 2024

Related Posts

Marine

New Underwater Tool Enables Ecologists to Identify Fish by Their Unique Sounds

September 26, 2025
blank
Marine

Decoding the Record-Breaking 2023 East Asian Summer Heatwave: The Crucial Impact of Unprecedented Marine Heatwaves

September 26, 2025
blank
Marine

Servicing Boosts Quality of Life in Container Sanitation

September 25, 2025
blank
Marine

World War Artifacts Beneath the Waves: Creating New Habitats for Marine Life

September 25, 2025
blank
Marine

Breakthrough Unmanned Submersible Created to Gather Typhoon Data and Enhance Forecast Accuracy

September 25, 2025
blank
Marine

FAU Receives US EPA Grant to Advance Genetic Integration in Florida Bay Sponge Restoration

September 25, 2025
Next Post

SNMMI Annual Meeting to take place June 8-11, 2024

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27560 shares
    Share 11021 Tweet 6888
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    969 shares
    Share 388 Tweet 242
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    646 shares
    Share 258 Tweet 162
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    512 shares
    Share 205 Tweet 128
  • Groundbreaking Clinical Trial Reveals Lubiprostone Enhances Kidney Function

    470 shares
    Share 188 Tweet 118
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Nickel-Doped α-Bi2O3 Boosts Biomass Carbon Supercapacitors
  • Genome Study Reveals Pediococcus Genes Tied to Beer Spoilage
  • Social Cognition and Connectedness in Syrian Refugees
  • Longitudinal Study: Caregiver Burden and Resilience

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,184 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading