BlueForests

BlueForests

BlueForests aims to fill a knowledge gap, quantifying the contribution made by marine forests to carbon sequestration and valuing the ecosystem services provided by them, thereby estimating the natural capital they provide.

To reach these findings, the project will study the existing forests along the Portuguese coast and test novel methodologies, techniques, and models to increase marine vegetation in degraded habitats, including analysing the potential role of artificial structures. The organic carbon from marine forests sequestered in sediments (blue carbon) will be quantified and characterized and the ecosystem services provided by marine forests will be evaluated economically. Finding such values is of utmost importance in efforts to mitigate climate change, providing guidance to national and international policy-makers for adequate planning on conservation and “seaforestation” of marine habitats such as macroalgae.