UK's secret weapon against climate change, hidden under the sea
UK's secret weapon against climate change, hidden under the sea
https://inews.co.uk/news/uk-secret-weapon-against-climate-change-under-sea-3278801?ico=most_popular
The UK’s seabeds have the potential to sink huge quantities of carbon, but are being threatened by fishing and offshore development
Hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide are being stored in the UK’s seabeds, according to a world-first report that sets out to quantify the role Britain’s coastal waters can play in the fight against climate change.
The study, known as the Blue Carbon Mapping Project, found the UK’s seabed habitats have the potential to capture up to 13 million tonnes of organic carbon every year, almost three times the amount sequestered by the UK’s forests.
But despite the role it plays as a huge carbon sink, the UK’s seabeds are not protected in the same way as other carbon sequestering habitats, such as forests and peatlands.
