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    • What we are about
    • Who we are
      • Professor Peter Macreadie
      • Dr Paul Carnell
      • Dr Stacey Trevathan-Tackett
      • Dr Maria del Mar Palacios
      • Dr Pawel Waryszak
      • Dr Melissa Wartman
      • Dr Micheli Duarte de Paula Costa
      • Dr Noyan Yilmaz
      • Dr Christina Birnbaum
      • Dr Martino Malerba
      • Dr Tiffany Sih
      • Dr Taryn Laubenstein
      • Dr Christina Asanopoulos
      • Ashley Whitt
      • Katy Limpert
      • Holger Jänes
      • Giuditta Bonetti
      • Jaya Kelvin
      • Charlie Townsin
      • Sarah Watson
      • Alejandro Navarro
      • Abbi Scott
      • Erlania
      • Yi Mei Tan
      • Oli Dalby
      • Interns and Volunteers
      • Alumni
  • Research
    • Wetland Carbon
      • Blue Carbon
        • Queensland Blue
        • Victoria’s Blue Carbon
        • Blue Carbon Management
      • Teal Carbon
        • Farm dams
        • Teal Wetlands for Carbon Offsetting
        • Victoria’s Teal Carbon
      • TeaComposition H2O
    • Ecosystem Services
    • Ecosystem Restoration
      • Wetland Restoration
      • Kelp & Segrass restoration
      • Maximising Teal Carbon capture
    • Citizen Science
      • HSBC citizen science
    • Marine Biosecurity
    • Decommissioning Infrastructure
  • Publications
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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM

The #BlueCarbonArmy is a citizen science program and immersive experience aimed at educating community members into the value of coastal wetlands, while contributing to Blue Carbon research.

The Wetland Magic

Coastal wetlands – mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses – are collectively known as ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems. They act as natural carbon sinks, effectively reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and mitigating climate change.

Blue carbon systems can drawdown carbon 30-50 times faster than terrestrial forests and lock it away in the soil for centuries to millennia. They also enhance biodiversity (eg. migratory birds, endangered frogs), support fisheries,provide ecotourism revenues and protect our coast against erosion and extreme weather events.

Australia is home to one of the world’s richest blue carbon stores. However, challenged with unprecedented degradation, an increase in pressure from exponential growth of the human population, and climate change, wetland ecosystems and the services they provide are at risk.

The Challanges

WETLAND DEGRADATION
Global wetlands have declined by 64-71% since 1900. When degraded, coastal wetlands stop capturing carbon and can become significant sources of greenhouse gases.

CARBON EMISSIONS & CLIMATE CHANGE
Globally 38.2 billion tonnes of CO2 are pumped every year into the atmosphere. These are fueling climate change, sea level rise, and extreme weather events that threaten people and nature.

LACK OF CONNECTION TO NATURE
People have lost their connection with nature, have limited understanding of climate change science and lack awareness of the power of coastal wetlands.

The Mission

This citizen science program aims to educate and empower community members into the value of coastal wetlands, while contributing to coastal blue carbon research. While participants receive an immersive experience into climate change science and the magic of coastal wetlands, scientists increase their sampling effort and advance blue carbon research.

The Citizen Science day starts with educational talks where participants are introduced to topics of coastal wetlands, ecosystem services and climate change. Then, citizen scientists travel to local wetlands and support scientists with data collections activities in the field (eg. collection of soil cores, survey of coastal vegetation, etc..). Data is used by national and international researchers to better understand Blue Carbon dynamics and coastal systems.

Carbon Coring

Cores of wetland soil are collected and used to quantify carbon stocks and accumulation rates across sites

Plant surveys

Biomass surveys of mangrove and saltmarsh species are used to quantify aboveground carbon stocks

TeaComposition H2O

Litter / tea decomposition is used to determine the ability of different wetlands to sequester carbon

Microbial Soil Sampling

Analysis of soil samples indicates which microbes are associated to high and low carbon preservation

Survey research

Multiple surveys test if education & immersive experiences can change attitudes towards wetlands

Our Citizen Science programs

HSBC

Engaged over 300 corporate staff into coastal wetland research in Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland. This 2-year program (2018-2020) fueled 7 research projects. Funded by HSBC in partnership with Earthwatch Australia.

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Hobsons Bay

Launched on WorldWetlandsDay 2020, this program involves a long-term experiment of saltmarsh restoration set-up by Hobsons Bay’s community. Supported by the Hobsons Bay Wetland Centre.

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Gippsland

Engages Gippsland community members into the monitoring of coastal restoration works. Funded by DELWP VIC, in partnership with Greening Australia & Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC).

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Seychelles

It will empower Seychellois into the value of coastal wetlands for climate change mitigation and train local staff into Blue Carbon methodologies. Two-year program funded by Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Fund.

Explore

Updates from the field

  • Citizen scientists from Hobsons Bay join research activities in local saltmarsh

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork / February 10, 2020

  • Field Recap Sydney #21

    Citizen Science,HSBC / November 11, 2019

  • Field Recap Sydney #20

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / October 28, 2019

  • 3CA funding for Wetland Restoration Citizen Science program

    Citizen Science,Grant,News,VicWetlandRehab / October 3, 2019

  • Field recap Sydney #18&19

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / September 29, 2019

  • One year of Blue Carbon Citizen Science

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / September 16, 2019

  • Field Recap Sydney #17

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / September 2, 2019

  • Recap Sydney field trip #16

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / June 20, 2019

  • Recap Melb field trip #15

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / June 11, 2019

  • Recap Mel field trip #14

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / May 30, 2019

  • Recap SYD field trips #12 & 13

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / May 21, 2019

  • Recap MEL field trip #11

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / April 9, 2019

  • Recap AUCK field trip #10

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / April 4, 2019

  • Recap SYD field trip #9

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / March 19, 2019

  • HSBC field trip #7 & #8 (AUCK)

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / December 20, 2018

  • HSBC field trip #6 (MEL)

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork / November 28, 2018

  • HSBC Field trip #4 & 5 (SYD)

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork,HSBC / November 23, 2018

  • HSBC field trip #3 (SYD)

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork / October 2, 2018

  • HSBC field trip #2 (SYD)

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork / August 14, 2018

  • HSBC field trip #1 (SYD)

    Citizen Science,Fieldwork / June 18, 2018

#BlueCarbonArmy

Follow the program on social media using #BlueCarbonArmy

Contact

Dr Maria Palacios

(m.palacios@deakin.edu.au)

Progress

Completed
50%
Completed: 50%

Deakin University
  • Home
  • About
    • What we are about
    • Who we are
      • Professor Peter Macreadie
      • Dr Paul Carnell
      • Dr Stacey Trevathan-Tackett
      • Dr Maria del Mar Palacios
      • Dr Pawel Waryszak
      • Dr Melissa Wartman
      • Dr Micheli Duarte de Paula Costa
      • Dr Noyan Yilmaz
      • Dr Christina Birnbaum
      • Dr Martino Malerba
      • Dr Tiffany Sih
      • Dr Taryn Laubenstein
      • Dr Christina Asanopoulos
      • Ashley Whitt
      • Katy Limpert
      • Holger Jänes
      • Giuditta Bonetti
      • Jaya Kelvin
      • Charlie Townsin
      • Sarah Watson
      • Alejandro Navarro
      • Abbi Scott
      • Erlania
      • Yi Mei Tan
      • Oli Dalby
      • Interns and Volunteers
      • Alumni
  • Research
    • Wetland Carbon
      • Blue Carbon
        • Queensland Blue
        • Victoria’s Blue Carbon
        • Blue Carbon Management
      • Teal Carbon
        • Farm dams
        • Teal Wetlands for Carbon Offsetting
        • Victoria’s Teal Carbon
      • TeaComposition H2O
    • Ecosystem Services
    • Ecosystem Restoration
      • Wetland Restoration
      • Kelp & Segrass restoration
      • Maximising Teal Carbon capture
    • Citizen Science
      • HSBC citizen science
    • Marine Biosecurity
    • Decommissioning Infrastructure
  • Publications
  • Vacancies
  • News
  • Live feed
  • Donate
  • Contact
Blue Carbon Lab