5 “Blue Forests” That are Vital to Life on Earth

When you think of a forest, chances are you picture trees rising high above you, leaves crunching underfoot. But there are some very different types of forest – in and under the water – that are just as beautiful and just as precious. While they don’t all contain trees, these so-called blue forests are essential to life on this planet, say experts.

Open
Tags: Blue Carbon Blue Forests Ecosystem Benefits Kelp mangroves saltmarshes Seagrass
5 “Blue Forests” That are Vital to Life on Earth

Related Resources

This Interactive Chart Shows Changes in the World’s Top 10 Emitters
 A lot has happened since countries met in Paris in 2015 and agreed on an accord to combat climate change. So far, 196 countries ratified or otherwise joined the Paris Climate Agreement, representing m[...]
Tags: Carbon EmissionsClimate ChangeGlobal carbon cyclePollution
Marine Life Cycles
 Although at the surface the ocean can appear calm and quiet, in fact there is an enormous amount of life activity taking place, particularly at certain times of the year. [...]
Tags: Blue Forestscoastal and marine ecosystemsocean basicsOcean Literacy
2020 Was One of Three Warmest Years on Record
 The year 2020 was one of the three warmest on record, and rivalled 2016 for the top spot, according to a consolidation of five leading international datasets by the World Meteorological Organization ([...]
Tags: Carbon EmissionsClimate ChangeGlobal carbon cycleOcean Acidification
4 Charts Explain Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Countries and Sectors
 Globally, greenhouse gas emissions have grown by 53% from 1990 to 2019. Where are these emissions coming from, and who is responsible? WRI’s Climate Watch platform offers comprehensive emissions dat[...]
Tags: Carbon EmissionsClimate ChangeGlobal carbon cyclePollution
SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
 Sustainable Development Goal 14 is to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development, according to the United Nations. The visualizations and data o[...]
Tags: ConservationoceanSDG 14Sustainable Development Goals
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 [...]
Tags: cultural servicesEcosystem Benefitsprovisional servicesregulating services
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. [...]
Tags: climateOcean Literacy
What is Carbon Sequestration?
 Carbon sequestration – the practice of removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it – is one of the many approaches being taken to tackle climate change. Find out why this method is being us[...]
Tags: Carbon EmissionsCarbon SequestrationClimate Changegreen carbon