Seagrass meadows have an area of less than 0.2% of the ocean bottom, seagrass meadows blue carbon, but they are responsible for laying down 10% of the ocean’s carbon reserves every year.
How Do They Store Carbon?
Seagrasses hold 90% of their carbon in the earth below them. Coastal meadows hold 83000 tons per square kilometer, as opposed to 30 tons for the forests of land, and can store carbon for thousands of years.
Why Are They Disappearing?
Around 29% of seagrass meadows no longer exist. Poor water quality and dredging cause the loss of the meadows, which is continuing at a rate of 1.5% per year. The meadows can emit carbon that has been stored in them, thus adding to global warming and taking away the habitat for fish.
Can They Be Recoverable? – seagrass meadows blue carbon
They can be in operation. Carbon laying taking place in the meadows that have just seen sprouts is expected to reach natural levels within 12 years. The safest way to protect seagrasses is to keep the existing beds safe from coastal pollution and most importantly from marine heat waves.
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