MAINE PUBLIC • August 14, 2023
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency underscores the importance of coastal marshes and seagrass in storing carbon. This so-called blue carbon is getting more attention. The EPA report on blue carbon from Maine to Long Island shows that Maine has 54,000 acres of salt marsh and eelgrass habitat, storing about 1.7 million metric tons of carbon. Bates College professor Beverly Johnson, who co-authored the report, says it will be important to continue studying seagrass and salt marsh habitats, to learn not only how they guard against the worst impacts of climate change by sequestering carbon and protecting the shoreline, but also how they might be affected by rising sea levels and other impacts of climate change.