Why Protecting & Restoring Blue Carbon Ecosystems Matters

Mangroves and seagrass meadows are coastal ecosystems that cover a small portion of the total ocean area but collectively are widely distributed on every continent except Antarctica. Mangroves are fou[...]

What are Mangrove Forests?

Mangroves are shrubs and trees that grow in coastal waters. Mangroves are halophytes, meaning they are salt-tolerant trees that thrive in intertidal conditions. These diverse and productive ecosystems[...]

The Biological Productivity of the Ocean

Productivity fuels life in the ocean, drives its chemical cycles, and lowers atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nutrient uptake and export interact with circulation to yield distinct ocean regimes. [...]

Understanding Blue Carbon

Blue carbon refers to carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean. “Blue” refers to the watery nature of this storage. The vast majority of blue carbon is carbon di[...]

What is Ocean Acidification?

The term ocean acidification is used to describe the ongoing decrease in ocean pH caused by human CO2 emissions, such as the burning of fossil fuels. It is the little known consequence of living in a [...]

Seagrasses, Nature’s Water Filter

In many systems, vegetated estuarine habitats such as salt marshes and seagrass beds act as a natural water filtration system—where sediment and nutrient-rich water flows in and cleaner water flows [...]

Marine Pollution Potentially Mitigated by Kelp Farms

Emerging research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks suggests that implementing kelp farms may be an effective strategy for combatting the growing problem of marine pollution. The university stud[...]

What are El Niño and La Niña?

El Niño and La Niña are climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide and can also have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies. [...]