Blog

Mangrove forests play a key role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, globally recognised as ‘Natural Climate Solutions’ (NCS). However, they, along with other blue carbon ecosystems, have experienced worldwide decline due to pressures from human activity such as land-use change, pollution, and overexploitation. For these coastal ecosystems to meaningfully mitigate impacts of climate changeRead more

Coastal wetland ecosystems, including saltmarsh, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows, play a crucial role in adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Coastal wetlands store large amounts of carbon, also known as blue carbon, in their soils and vegetation- making them important carbon sinks. The protection and restoration of these ecosystems can help reduceRead more

GeelongPort’s 2023 citizen science program is now underway! Earlier this month, GeelongPort #BlueCarbonArmy undertook bird and bug surveys at Avalon Coastal reserve to explore the biodiversity gains from saltmarsh restoration.  Fieldwork took place in the former Avalon saltworks (northeast of Corio Bay). This site offers a unique landscape of intertidal ponds with varying degrees of human impact:Read more

Regenerating Our Coasts is moving into an exciting phase – mangrove seeds planted into our trial plots over summer have germinated and are starting to grow. Over the coming months (and years) we’ll be monitoring their growth and survival under various methods, including the use of biodegradable structures as a novel way to enhance activeRead more

We recently celebrated World Wetlands Day. This year the Convention on Wetlands wants to focus on efforts to reverse the global trend of wetlands loss and degradation by saying it’s time for wetlands restoration. They’ve produced some great materials to help people understand the challenges wetlands face, and ways that everyone can play a partRead more

The Blue Carbon Lab recently helped run three citizen science workshops at Truganina Wetland, a 175-hectare area of Biodiversity Significance containing critical habitat for threatened and protected flora and fauna. This wetland is however degraded in several areas and faces various threats to its health as an ecosystem. These workshops focused on identifying such threats,Read more

When you think about eating seaweed you most likely think of seaweed on a beach or taste it in a sushi roll? However, did you know, seaweed is a dynamic food source which presents a wide range of exciting applications from yoghurt thickener to animal feed, pharmaceutical compounds, fertilisers and even as a biofuel? WhileRead more

Last week, the BCL team had engaging discussions with Beach Energy employees about the importance of coastal wetlands and blue carbon for climate change mitigation, and about how our new project, #ReGenOurCoasts, can help in restoration efforts. About 20 people from the team at Beach Energy participated from all over Australia in a Lunch &Read more

The Blue Carbon Lab, with the help of local consultants, is working with the Seychelles Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (MEECC) to derive the first estimate of mangrove blue carbon in Seychelles. This archipelagic nation is home to incredible biodiversity, particularly in its coral reefs and coastal wetlands, and mangroves are widely distributedRead more

Two different groups of citizen scientists, staff members from Intrepid Travel and students from Holmesglen TAFE, have joined a team of researchers and land managers from Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC), Arthur Rylah Institute, Parks Victoria and the Blue Carbon Lab for workshops involving weed monitoring in a unique coastal grassland ecosystem. This areaRead more