Blue carbon is the term for carbon captured and stored by the world's ocean and coastal ecosystems. Coastal blue carbon ecosystems contribute to community resilience to changing ocean conditions by protecting vulnerable shorelines from the pressures of increased flooding and sea level rise, and acting as buffers against coastal storms. Specific species play critical roles in blue carbon ecosystems. Marine protected areas preserve blue carbon habitats and processes.
Teaching Hope: Blue Carbon and Changing Ocean Conditions
In this webinar, you'll learn from a NOAA educator and scientist about the inspiring role the ocean plays as a carbon sponge. You'll learn about the role of "blue" carbon - the species and habitats that absorb and store carbon in the ocean - and how NOAA is working to better understand and protect these vital resources.
Blue Carbon Toolkit
This communication toolkit is designed for educators and communicators to use to teach others about blue carbon ecosystems. The toolkit includes: a fact sheet, an infographic, a lesson plan, and links to webinars and supplementary resources.
Blue Carbon StoryMap
This StoryMap aims to broaden the reach and engagement reports on blue carbon in marine protected areas, and is a guide to understanding and increasing protection of blue carbon.
Recording: The Ocean as a Carbon Sponge
This webinar recording illustrates how the ocean is a carbon sponge and why blue carbon is important. You’ll learn about different coastal and ocean species and habitats and the valuable role they play in capturing carbon for long-term storage.
Recording: Mud Matters - Understanding the Role of Ocean Sediments in Carbon Sequestration
Learn about the first systematic evaluation of marine sediment in North-Central California and discover the importance of marine sediments in global carbon sequestration and storage. The webinar shows how marine protected areas prevent disturbance to these important long-term carbon storage sites.
Whale Fall Illustration and Video
A graphic poster that illustrates the various states of decomposition of a whale skeleton on the seafloor. When a whale dies, its body falls to the ocean floor, where it is slowly absorbed into the sediment layer. A large whale stores an average of 9 tons of carbon, the greenhouse gas equivalent of seven gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.