Seagrass at the waterline, Seychelles. Seagrasses are a vital part of the solution to climate change and, per unit area, seagrass meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as the world’s temperate and tropical forests. Photo source: ©© Lawrence Hislop /Unep
Excerpts;
Seagrass ecosystems could play a key role in combating climate change, researchers have discovered. The marine flowering plant also helps sustain abundant sea life and protects shorelines around the world from coastal erosion.
Yet with seagrass habitats suffering rapid global decline and despite the plant’s huge potential; there are currently no functioning seagrass restoration or conservation projects. Due to their shallow coastal habitat the aquatic plant is particularly prone to human disturbance – globally 24 per cent of seagrass species are now classified as threatened or near threatened…
Read Full Article, Science Daily
Seagrasses Can Store as Much Carbon as Forests, NSF (05-23-2012)
