2 posts tagged with "Blue carbon"

On 26 July, the world marks the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. The celebration is often accompanied by photographs of tangled roots, restoration campaigns, and discussions about blue carbon. These are important. Yet they risk overlooking a more fundamental truth: mangroves are not simply coastal forests, they are the ecological infrastructure that connects terrestrial and marine systems.

A new study published in Ocean and Coastal Management by CoastMan project members Ibrahim Issifu, Menelisi Falayi, Rashid Sumaila and CoastMan PI Terry Sunderland examines how mangrove ecosystems function as critical land-ocean buffers in West and East Africa. By evaluating mangroves in Ghana and Tanzania, the research provides a comparative analysis of blue carbon storage, coastal protection, and fisheries livelihoods, pointing to key regional trade-offs that can help guide future conservation investments.