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		<title>Conservation news</title>
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		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/blue-carbon/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:02:09 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<title>News on Blue Carbon</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/blue-carbon/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Sand mining plans spark opposition from fishers in Indonesia’s Riau Islands</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Aug 2026 13:37:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten GokkonYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Yenni Kwok]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/08/14123631/m11-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=326242</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Blue Carbon, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Development, Dredging, Ecosystems, Environment, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Marine, Marine Conservation, Mining, Natural Resources, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NUMBING ISLAND, Indonesia — The waters off Numbing Island, part of the Riau archipelago between Sumatra and Singapore, are among Indonesia’s richest fishing grounds. Local fisher Edy says the abundant fish stocks have enabled him to support his family and pay for his children&#8217;s university education. He typically earns between 1 million and 2 million [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[NUMBING ISLAND, Indonesia — The waters off Numbing Island, part of the Riau archipelago between Sumatra and Singapore, are among Indonesia’s richest fishing grounds. Local fisher Edy says the abundant fish stocks have enabled him to support his family and pay for his children&#8217;s university education. He typically earns between 1 million and 2 million rupiah ($55-$110) per fishing trip and makes four trips a month. However, Edy says he fears a proposed sand-mining project will threaten his and other fishers’ livelihoods. He said dredging would make the water more turbid, driving fish away from their traditional habitats and forcing fishers to sail farther out to sea to find them. “That is why I am afraid of this mining project. It will damage the sea. We have experienced this before, when marine sand mining took place near Batam,” he said, referring to one of the largest of the Riau islands, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Numbing. “Our waters also became cloudy.” Numbing Island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra/Mongabay Indonesia. A wave of opposition to the planned sea-sand mining in the waters around Riau Islands province has emerged among not only fishers from Numbing and surrounding areas, but also Indonesian lawmakers. Local authorities paint the project off Numbing, which is part of the Riau Islands’ Bintan district, as necessary to dredge marine sediment to facilitate large ship traffic. This would make it exempt from Indonesian law that prohibits sand mining in coastal areas and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/sand-mining-plans-spark-opposition-from-fishers-in-indonesias-riau-islands/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-326242</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>State fishing village plan in Indonesian Papua sparks Indigenous opposition</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/state-fishing-village-plan-in-indonesian-papua-sparks-indigenous-opposition/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/state-fishing-village-plan-in-indonesian-papua-sparks-indigenous-opposition/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Apr 2026 03:41:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=316646</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Oceans, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous leaders in Indonesia’s South Papua province have rejected a government plan to build a state-backed fishing settlement on their ancestral land, highlighting growing tensions between national development programs and customary land rights in the country’s easternmost island. Members of the Wiyagar tribe say the proposed Red and White Fishers’ Village (KNMP) in Sumuraman, a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Indigenous leaders in Indonesia’s South Papua province have rejected a government plan to build a state-backed fishing settlement on their ancestral land, highlighting growing tensions between national development programs and customary land rights in the country’s easternmost island. Members of the Wiyagar tribe say the proposed Red and White Fishers’ Village (KNMP) in Sumuraman, a remote coastal area in Mappi district, is being advanced without proper consultation with traditional landowners. The project forms part of a nationwide initiative to develop hundreds of “modern” fishing settlements to boost marine productivity and coastal livelihoods. “We oppose the designation of Sumuraman as a Red and White Fishers’ Village because the people of the Wiyagar tribe do not work as fishers there,” Alowisius Boi, a coordinator of the coalition Solidarity for the Environment and People in South Papua, said as quoted by local media. A planned design for the fishing village initiative by the government. Image courtesy of the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Local Indigenous organizations and youth groups say the government has treated Sumuraman as unoccupied land, even though it has been held under the customary tenure of Wiyagar families for generations. Community representatives say they weren’t informed when officials from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries conducted surveys in early March, and they accuse authorities of meeting with people they don’t recognize as legitimate landowners. The dispute also reflects deeper complexities in Indonesian Papua, where decades of migrant influx from other parts of Indonesia, overlapping land claims, and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/state-fishing-village-plan-in-indonesian-papua-sparks-indigenous-opposition/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/state-fishing-village-plan-in-indonesian-papua-sparks-indigenous-opposition/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-316646</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Why saving seagrass meadows could help save the world’s coastlines</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/why-saving-seagrass-meadows-could-help-save-the-worlds-coastlines/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/why-saving-seagrass-meadows-could-help-save-the-worlds-coastlines/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Mar 2026 16:48:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sean Mowbray]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315651</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Global Environmental Crisis, Marine, Marine Conservation, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Seagrass meadows might not catch the eye like coral reefs, but they play an important and often unsung role in coastal protection, particularly as climate change increasingly eats away at shorelines. Protecting and restoring seagrass meadows, experts say, is a key “nature-based solution” that can also soak up and store carbon. Seagrasses reduce erosion and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Seagrass meadows might not catch the eye like coral reefs, but they play an important and often unsung role in coastal protection, particularly as climate change increasingly eats away at shorelines. Protecting and restoring seagrass meadows, experts say, is a key “nature-based solution” that can also soak up and store carbon. Seagrasses reduce erosion and bind sediments with their roots, similar to how a forest stabilizes soil, says Oscar Serrano Gras, a research fellow at the Blanes Center for Advanced Studies (CEAB) in Spain and Edith Cowan University in Australia. “They naturally have this capacity to protect the shoreline from erosion,” he adds. That also means they are incredibly efficient at storing carbon dioxide. Across the globe, the increasing strength and duration of storms, as well as their frequency, is chipping away at coastlines due to climate change. That’s linked to flooding, damage to infrastructure, and potentially hazardous cliff falls. “The fact that we are losing this protection belt of seagrass along the shorelines also contributes to coastal erosion,” Gras says. Cymodocea nodosa seagrass in Spain, also known as Little Neptune grass. Restoring and protecting seagrass can have climate and coastal protection benefits. Image courtesy of Liam McGuire/Ocean Image Bank. Reducing waves, binding sediment When seagrass meadows are healthy and abundant, they can form a belt along the coastline that helps slow down waves and reduce their height. “Seagrass creates additional resistance to fluid motion, which reduces wave energy,” says Heidi Nepf, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/why-saving-seagrass-meadows-could-help-save-the-worlds-coastlines/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/why-saving-seagrass-meadows-could-help-save-the-worlds-coastlines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-315651</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Huge ‘blue carbon’ offsetting project takes root in the mangroves of Sierra Leone</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Dec 2025 20:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Edward CarverMohamed Fofanah]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Morgan Erickson-Davis]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/23151914/4-Community-members-plant-red-mangrove-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=311956</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Sierra Leone, and West Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, carbon, Carbon Credits, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Offsets, Carbon Sequestration, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest Carbon, Governance, Islands, Mangroves, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Restoration, and Soil Carbon]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BONTHE, Sierra Leone — On the island of Sherbro in Sierra Leone, as in much of the country, there’s limited access to vital services needed to make ends meet. “Here our people only rely on fishing and a few on agriculture and have nothing else to occupy our children, our youths,” Nenneh Sumaila, the chief [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BONTHE, Sierra Leone — On the island of Sherbro in Sierra Leone, as in much of the country, there’s limited access to vital services needed to make ends meet. “Here our people only rely on fishing and a few on agriculture and have nothing else to occupy our children, our youths,” Nenneh Sumaila, the chief of Gbomgboma, a village of about 300 people on the island, told Mongabay. “There are no good roads, no proper health facilities, there’s poor housing, electricity is a dream and the standard of living is poor.” One of the ways to make ends meet in Gbomgboma is by cultivating oil palm trees. But to process the fruit into palm oil, they need fuel for fire, which often comes from mangroves — one of many local uses for the wood. Cutting mangroves unsustainably turns them from a carbon sink into a source of greenhouse gas emissions and hurts their ability to foster biodiversity and provide other ecosystem services. “Blue carbon” projects aim to reverse this trend, and one called the Sherbro River Estuary Project has just been launched with more than 124 communities there. A wholly owned subsidiary of West Africa Blue, a Mauritius-based company, reportedly signed a deal with the communities in October that will reward them financially for conserving and restoring their mangroves. Company representatives told Mongabay that the funds will be generated by selling offsets on the voluntary carbon credit market, with revenues shared between West Africa Blue, the communities and the government&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/huge-blue-carbon-offsetting-project-takes-root-in-the-mangroves-of-sierra-leone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-311956</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Embrace ‘blue’ foods as a climate strategy at COP30, fisheries ministers say (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/embrace-blue-foods-as-a-climate-strategy-at-cop30-fisheries-ministers-say-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/embrace-blue-foods-as-a-climate-strategy-at-cop30-fisheries-ministers-say-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Nov 2025 18:26:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[André de PaulaSalvador Malheiro]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/11175848/Fishing-boats-in-Grenada-by-Hugh-Whyte-Ocean-Image-Bank-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309298</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, Global, and Portugal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Aquaculture, Bioeconomy, Blue Carbon, blue economy, Climate, Climate Change, Commentary, Ecosystems, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Food, food security, Governance, Marine, Marine Conservation, Nutrition, Oceans, and Overfishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As two coastal countries connected by the Atlantic Ocean and five centuries of shared history, Brazil and Portugal have long appreciated the value of “blue” or aquatic foods, including our shared love of bacalhau, or salted cod. Portugal ranks third in the world and first in the EU for per capita fish and seafood consumption, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As two coastal countries connected by the Atlantic Ocean and five centuries of shared history, Brazil and Portugal have long appreciated the value of “blue” or aquatic foods, including our shared love of bacalhau, or salted cod. Portugal ranks third in the world and first in the EU for per capita fish and seafood consumption, while in Brazil, aquatic foods support more than 3 million livelihoods, with consumption of whole, raw fish reaching as much as 800 grams (28 ounces) per day in the Amazon, which is hosting the U.N. climate talks for the first time in its gateway city of Belém. But as our global food system comes under increasing pressure, from climate change to shifting diets, we also share the recognition that blue foods play a crucial role in building more resilient, adaptive, and nutritionally balanced food systems. Fishing vessels like this provide much of the world&#8217;s &#8220;blue&#8221; foods but are only a portion of the overall picture. Image courtesy of Nicolas Job/Ocean Image Bank. The blue food sector, which encompasses the wild harvest and farming of fish, shellfish, seaweed and other aquatic plants and animals, is well-known for providing rich sources of protein and essential micronutrients, such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids that are crucial for combating malnutrition, which affects more than 2 billion people worldwide. However, this sector is often overlooked as a climate strategy despite its potential to help meet demand for animal-sourced food with a smaller environmental footprint. Many blue&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/embrace-blue-foods-as-a-climate-strategy-at-cop30-fisheries-ministers-say-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309298</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists call for stronger action to save Indonesia’s vanishing seagrass meadows</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2025 14:24:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/11/04064725/Jenis-lamun-di-Kepulauan-Togean-Sulawesi-Tengah.-Foto_-Christopel-Paino-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=308768</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Kalimantan, Papua, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Global Environmental Crisis, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Seagrass]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[SANUR, Indonesia — Indonesia’s seagrass ecosystems are crucial for climate action, biodiversity and coastal livelihoods, yet remain a largely neglected asset, marine scientists and conservation experts said at a recent meeting. Participants at the Indonesian Seagrass Symposium, which ran from Oct. 29-30 on the island of Bali, called for stronger collaboration and data-driven policies to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[SANUR, Indonesia — Indonesia’s seagrass ecosystems are crucial for climate action, biodiversity and coastal livelihoods, yet remain a largely neglected asset, marine scientists and conservation experts said at a recent meeting. Participants at the Indonesian Seagrass Symposium, which ran from Oct. 29-30 on the island of Bali, called for stronger collaboration and data-driven policies to secure the future of these ecosystems in Indonesia’s environmental agenda. They said scientific data gaps, weak institutional capacity and low public awareness were key barriers to stronger protection and policy integration. “I see seagrass as a kind of forgotten ecosystem,” Victor Nikijuluw, senior ocean program adviser at the foundation Konservasi Indonesia (KI), the national affiliate of Conservation International and host of the symposium, told reporters. “We barely pay attention to it, even though its ecological, biological and ecosystem service roles are strategically important.” In Indonesia, Victor added, “this is the ecosystem most often sacrificed, that’s why I call it the forgotten ecosystem, one that most people don’t even know about.” Seagrass meadows are a crucial habitat for dugongs. Image courtesy of Tutus Wijanarko/WWF-Indonesia. Seagrasses, distinct from seaweeds, are flowering plants that thrive beneath shallow coastal waters and form vital nurseries for juvenile fish and shelter for marine life such as crabs, prawns and sea cucumbers. Together with mangroves and coral reefs, these meadows help trap carbon, filter land-based runoff, and buffer shorelines from erosion. Across the world, more than 70 seagrass species blanket roughly 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of ocean floor, an expanse&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-308768</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia eyes seagrass zoning for blue carbon; experts urge community benefits</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Oct 2025 08:39:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/07122243/2847d35f-7bed-4686-8e25-62053ac6a0a4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=307028</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Kalimantan, Papua, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Global Environmental Crisis, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Seagrass]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia’s push to legalize a blue carbon zoning plan that’s focused on seagrass has sparked optimism for climate solutions, but some experts debate its risks and safeguards. The Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has been drafting new amendments to a 2019 government regulation to designate 17 seagrass habitats across the archipelago as certain &#8220;national [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia’s push to legalize a blue carbon zoning plan that’s focused on seagrass has sparked optimism for climate solutions, but some experts debate its risks and safeguards. The Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has been drafting new amendments to a 2019 government regulation to designate 17 seagrass habitats across the archipelago as certain &#8220;national strategic areas&#8221; (KSNT), giving them priority status for sovereignty, environmental protection and global heritage. The ministry’s director-general of marine spatial management, Kartika Listriana, said the zoning plan for Blue Carbon Reserves was a pledge to fight the climate crisis, protect ocean ecosystems and support coastal communities. “Marine spatial planning is meant to create real benefits,” she said in a Sept. 14 press release, “from giving investors legal certainty in the marine and fisheries sectors to improving community welfare to safeguarding our coasts and seas.” Mangrove and seagrass ecosystems in northern Nias Island. Image courtesy of Eko Siswono Toyudho/Konservasi Indonesia. Indonesia is moving to designate 17 seagrass habitats as national strategic areas for blue carbon, a plan that promises climate and community benefits but raises concerns over safeguards. Image courtesy of Eko Siswono Toyudho/Konservasi Indonesia. Indonesia holds about 11.5% of the world’s seagrass meadows, a resource the government hopes to tap to expand its carbon storage capacity. Scientists estimate that, per unit area, seagrass can capture carbon up to 35 times more effectively than tropical rainforests. According to the ministry, 17 sites have been earmarked as indicative KSNT locations for blue carbon reserves under the 2025-45&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-307028</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Blue carbon ecosystems are key for protecting the Philippines from climate shocks (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/blue-carbon-ecosystems-are-key-for-protecting-the-philippines-from-climate-shocks-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/blue-carbon-ecosystems-are-key-for-protecting-the-philippines-from-climate-shocks-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Jul 2025 14:43:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Emily RichardsonJurgenne H. PrimaveraRona Joy Loma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/07/22141405/Mangrove-forest-in-the-Philippines-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=302954</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Philippines, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Blue Carbon, Climate, Climate Change, climate finance, Commentary, Ecosystems, Finance, Governance, Islands, Mangroves, Marine, Marine Conservation, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Our vibrant nation of the Philippines is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Subject to tropical cyclones, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it ranks number one globally on the World Risk Index. It is also one of the 17 mega-biodiverse countries, and it’s easy to see how nature and climate go hand in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Our vibrant nation of the Philippines is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Subject to tropical cyclones, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it ranks number one globally on the World Risk Index. It is also one of the 17 mega-biodiverse countries, and it’s easy to see how nature and climate go hand in hand in this archipelagic nation. Working for the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), together we have seen how mangrove rehabilitation projects hold the power to inspire hope and bring security back to local communities following the typhoons that ravage our coastlines. Although we are accustomed to the threat of natural disasters, the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones is leaving communities reeling, with thousands of local people without homes, work, or access to sanitation. Typhoon Man-Yi (known locally as Pepito), was the sixth super typhoon to make landfall here between October and November in 2024, and worryingly, last November the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that it was the first time since records began in 1951 that four storms coexisted in the Pacific basin. Mangrove forests provide key marine habitats for many creatures, while also protecting coastlines from storms. Image by Maxwell Ridgeway via Unsplash. Living in the shadow of these typhoons, we are proud that the Philippines was selected to host the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Loss and Damage Fund board last year. Former Philippine secretary of environment and natural resources Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga shared at the 4th meeting of the board&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/blue-carbon-ecosystems-are-key-for-protecting-the-philippines-from-climate-shocks-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/blue-carbon-ecosystems-are-key-for-protecting-the-philippines-from-climate-shocks-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-302954</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Guinea-Bissau’s grassroots efforts offer a blueprint for global mangrove restoration (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/guinea-bissaus-grassroots-efforts-offer-a-blueprint-for-global-mangrove-restoration-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/guinea-bissaus-grassroots-efforts-offer-a-blueprint-for-global-mangrove-restoration-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 May 2025 16:02:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abdoulaye Ndiaye]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Morgan Erickson-Davis]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/05/29045200/Wetlands-International-Beyond-Borders-Media-%C2%A9103-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=299828</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Guinea-Bissau, and West Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Commentary, Deforestation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest Loss, Forests, Global Warming, Mangroves, Marine, Reforestation, Restoration, Rice, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Guinea-Bissau is a mangrove country. These unique coastal forests cover around 326,000 hectares (about 806,000 acres), or 9% of the national territory — the highest proportion in the world. They not only sequester vast amounts of carbon but also provide essential services for local communities by sustaining fisheries and protecting the coastline, as well as [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Guinea-Bissau is a mangrove country. These unique coastal forests cover around 326,000 hectares (about 806,000 acres), or 9% of the national territory — the highest proportion in the world. They not only sequester vast amounts of carbon but also provide essential services for local communities by sustaining fisheries and protecting the coastline, as well as serving as vital habitats for migratory birds and other threatened species such as manatees, dolphins and sea turtles. As a program manager for Wetlands International, I’ve seen this with my own eyes. I’ve also witnessed these ecosystems come under threat over the years due to overexploitation and environmental degradation. Over the past 80 years, the total area of mangrove forests in my country has declined by almost a third. However, a grassroots revolution is underway, spearheaded by national organizations, international partners and communities to restore mangrove landscapes in Guinea-Bissau. Since the efforts began in 2016, mangrove landscapes in my country have become more climate-resilient, and the surrounding communities more socially and economically prosperous. Guinea-Bissau&#8217;s mangroves impart many ecosystem services, such as providing habitat for wildlife, buffering coastlines from storm surges and sequestering greenhouse gases. Image courtesy of Wetlands International &amp; Beyond Borders Media. Grassroots organizations: The heartbeat of ecological mangrove restoration Grassroots organizations are taking center stage in the restoration of mangroves. Operating in the southern part of the country, particularly around Cantanhez National Park, close to the border with Guinea, these organizations partner with international organizations such as Wetlands International to identify sites, mobilize&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/guinea-bissaus-grassroots-efforts-offer-a-blueprint-for-global-mangrove-restoration-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/guinea-bissaus-grassroots-efforts-offer-a-blueprint-for-global-mangrove-restoration-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-299828</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Mangrove deforestation for commodities limits conservation funding in SE Asia</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/mangrove-deforestation-for-commodities-limits-conservation-funding-in-se-asia/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/mangrove-deforestation-for-commodities-limits-conservation-funding-in-se-asia/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Feb 2025 14:12:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Carolyn Cowan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/02/25133159/Banner-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=294977</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Blue Carbon, Carbon Credits, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Market, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Ecosystems, Forest Carbon, Forests, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Mangroves, Nature-based climate solutions, Reforestation, Research, Restoration, Solutions, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Home to one-third of all mangroves globally, Southeast Asia has outsize potential to lock away greenhouse gases in these carbon-dense ecosystems. But deforestation for a range of commodities, cyclone damage, and rising sea levels severely jeopardize the region’s capacity to lean on its mangroves as nature-based solutions to climate change. A new study shows that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Home to one-third of all mangroves globally, Southeast Asia has outsize potential to lock away greenhouse gases in these carbon-dense ecosystems. But deforestation for a range of commodities, cyclone damage, and rising sea levels severely jeopardize the region’s capacity to lean on its mangroves as nature-based solutions to climate change. A new study shows that 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres), or 85%, of Southeast Asia’s mangrove forests considered viable for blue carbon credit investments are at risk of destruction due to the expansion of oil palm, rice and aquaculture over the next 25 years. The study, published in the journal Communications Earth &amp; Environment, concludes these pressures undermine the integrity of blue carbon credits as a way of funding conservation. This could make it more challenging for policymakers and conservationists to realize the true potential of mangroves for mitigating global biodiversity and climate challenges, the authors say. “It’s sort of a reality check — we can’t really rely 100% on carbon markets to conserve mangroves,” study co-author Yiwen Zeng, a conservation scientist at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told Mongabay. A mangrove forest in the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. Hectare for hectare, mangroves can store up to five times more greenhouse gases than rainforests, making them a key focus of blue carbon credits. The viability of these credits, which are typically bought by firms looking to offset their emissions, is contingent on the mangrove forest remaining intact and thus locking away carbon&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/mangrove-deforestation-for-commodities-limits-conservation-funding-in-se-asia/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/mangrove-deforestation-for-commodities-limits-conservation-funding-in-se-asia/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-294977</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Lessons from successful mangrove forest restoration in El Salvador (analysis)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/01/lessons-from-successful-mangrove-forest-restoration-in-el-salvador-analysis/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/01/lessons-from-successful-mangrove-forest-restoration-in-el-salvador-analysis/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2025 15:39:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Alfredo Quarto]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/01/23175454/3bEL-SAL-08.00_06_46_06.Still016-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=293326</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Central America, El Salvador, and Latin America]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Analysis, Blue Carbon, Coastal Ecosystems, Ecosystems, Environment, Forests, Habitat, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Mangroves, Marine, Oceans, Reforestation, Restoration, and Traditional Knowledge]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The intrinsic value of mangroves and their related coastal ecosystems is getting more recognition than ever before, while actions to conserve and restore our planet’s coastal wetlands are gaining in scope and momentum. More funders are jumping on the bandwagon and supporting restoration efforts around the globe as they take on new significance. Yet, though [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The intrinsic value of mangroves and their related coastal ecosystems is getting more recognition than ever before, while actions to conserve and restore our planet’s coastal wetlands are gaining in scope and momentum. More funders are jumping on the bandwagon and supporting restoration efforts around the globe as they take on new significance. Yet, though there are a great number of mangrove restoration projects out there, there is still a 70% or more failure rate, which cannot be ignored. There is a great need today to raise awareness among those attempting mangrove restoration — and those funders who seek to support the same — that there must be a change in emphasis, from numbers of mangrove trees planted to numbers that survive — not just for a month, or even just one year, but survive for over 10-25 years, i.e. the long-term. If we are serious in our attempts to restore the mangroves, then we must incorporate a set of best practices. These must include involving local communities in the long-term effort to conserve, restore and co-manage the mangroves in their areas. What follows is a case where local communities and their supporting local NGOs have successfully undertaken such an approach. Map of Jiquilisco Bay via Google Earth Pro. “The first thing we learn here is to appreciate what we have. What I remember about mangroves when I was a child is that mangroves went through a time when they were degraded and things weren’t the same. Our experience here&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/01/lessons-from-successful-mangrove-forest-restoration-in-el-salvador-analysis/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/01/lessons-from-successful-mangrove-forest-restoration-in-el-salvador-analysis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-293326</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Antarctic krill store massive amounts of carbon in the deep ocean, researchers find</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/antarctic-krill-store-massive-amounts-of-carbon-in-the-deep-ocean-researchers-find/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/antarctic-krill-store-massive-amounts-of-carbon-in-the-deep-ocean-researchers-find/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Nov 2024 10:15:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Farah Aziz Annesha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29031749/krill_2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=290895</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Antarctica]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Blue Carbon, Carbon Sequestration, Ecology, Environment, Fishing, Green, Invertebrates, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the icy waters surrounding Antarctica, small shrimp-like crustaceans called krill (Euphausia superba) swim in swarms of trillions, forming a biomass larger than the entire human population. Scientists knew these 5-centimeter-long creatures could trap carbon from the atmosphere in the ocean floor, but were unaware of the sheer scale. New research has now revealed just [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the icy waters surrounding Antarctica, small shrimp-like crustaceans called krill (Euphausia superba) swim in swarms of trillions, forming a biomass larger than the entire human population. Scientists knew these 5-centimeter-long creatures could trap carbon from the atmosphere in the ocean floor, but were unaware of the sheer scale. New research has now revealed just how much: Krill can store at least 20 million metric tons of carbon in the deep ocean annually. This equates to $4 billion to $46 billion, depending on the price of carbon. Krill achieve this feat through their sinking fecal pellets, which preserve the carbon for more than a century. “Krill are super-efficient in carbon sinking, [since they have] larger fecal pellets than other plankton,” said the study&#8217;s lead author, marine biogeochemist Emma L. Cavan of Imperial College, London. She and her colleagues reported their findings recently in Nature Communications. An Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), about 5 centimeters long. Credit: Uwe Kils on Wikimedia Commons In the Southern Ocean, krill serve as an important link in the food web, connecting microscopic plants called phytoplankton to a range of marine animals, from penguins and seals to fish and squid. Even the humongous blue whales depend on them. They swim in super-swarms that can span ten kilometers in width and a hundred meters in depth—so huge that their nighttime bioluminescent glows make them visible from space. Cavan and her team estimated the density of krill in the ocean by using KRILLBASE20, a database containing 90 years of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/antarctic-krill-store-massive-amounts-of-carbon-in-the-deep-ocean-researchers-find/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/antarctic-krill-store-massive-amounts-of-carbon-in-the-deep-ocean-researchers-find/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-290895</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>How a holistic approach aims to heal mangroves in Guinea-Bissau</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-a-holistic-approach-aims-to-heal-mangroves-in-guinea-bissau/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-a-holistic-approach-aims-to-heal-mangroves-in-guinea-bissau/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Nov 2024 22:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ruth Kamnitzer]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Morgan Erickson-Davis]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/27211509/98_Wetlands-International-Beyond-Borders-Media-%C2%A998-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=290807</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Forest Trackers]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Guinea-Bissau, and West Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Deforestation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest Loss, Forests, Global Warming, Green, Mangroves, Marine, Reforestation, Restoration, Rice, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Mangrove forests still line most of Guinea-Bissau’s fringing shoreline along West Africa’s Atlantic coast, a protective green halo along the many bays and estuaries. Uniquely evolved for the interface between land and sea, mangroves are a nursery for fish, shelter low-lying communities, store carbon, and more. Communities also cultivate rice in brackish soils of the mangrove [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Mangrove forests still line most of Guinea-Bissau’s fringing shoreline along West Africa’s Atlantic coast, a protective green halo along the many bays and estuaries. Uniquely evolved for the interface between land and sea, mangroves are a nursery for fish, shelter low-lying communities, store carbon, and more. Communities also cultivate rice in brackish soils of the mangrove swamps, using a method unique to West Africa. In the past few decades, environmental and socio-economic changes mean that many of these rice fields have been abandoned. Some may be reclaimed by the tides, but many are so altered they instead lie barren and cannot regenerate on their own. Since 2015 Wetlands International has been working with communities in and around Cacheu and Cantanhez national parks to regenerate these abandoned rice fields, using an innovative approach called Community-based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR). It differs from conventional restoration techniques in that it focuses on removing barriers to natural regeneration, instead of mass planting. That includes correcting imbalances in the hydrology, as well as tackling the socio-economic drivers behind mangrove loss. Mangrove forests, like this one in Indonesia, are adapted to thrive in tidal areas where most other plants can&#8217;t. In addition to acting as a protective nursery for juvenile fish and other marine wildlife, mangroves buffer coasts from sea swells, storms and erosion, and funnel more carbon into the soil than other types of trees. Image by Rhett A. Butler / Mongabay. Satellite data from Global Mangrove Watch show the 2016 extent of mangroves along Guinea-Bissau&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-a-holistic-approach-aims-to-heal-mangroves-in-guinea-bissau/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-a-holistic-approach-aims-to-heal-mangroves-in-guinea-bissau/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-290807</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Thailand’s budding mangrove restoration plans spark both hope and concern</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/10/thailands-budding-mangrove-restoration-plans-spark-both-hope-and-concern/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/10/thailands-budding-mangrove-restoration-plans-spark-both-hope-and-concern/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Oct 2024 00:49:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Carolyn Cowan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/10/16110011/Banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=288798</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Southeast Asia, and Thailand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Carbon Market, Carbon Offsets, Coastal Ecosystems, Community Forests, Conservation, Conservation Solutions, Ecosystems, Education, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Forests, Governance, Green, Mangroves, Marine, Nature-based climate solutions, Restoration, Solutions, Sustainability, Trees, Tropical Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BANGKOK, Thailand — Standing on a coastal boardwalk overlooking the upper Gulf of Thailand, Wisut Leksomboon points to two mature mangrove trees whose branches intertwine like lovers’ limbs. “We found that by planting two seedlings close together, they can offer each other support as they grow. These trees are about 30 years old,” Wisut tells [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BANGKOK, Thailand — Standing on a coastal boardwalk overlooking the upper Gulf of Thailand, Wisut Leksomboon points to two mature mangrove trees whose branches intertwine like lovers’ limbs. “We found that by planting two seedlings close together, they can offer each other support as they grow. These trees are about 30 years old,” Wisut tells Mongabay during a visit to the Mangrove Nature School in Bang Kaew, a village roughly two hours’ drive south of Bangkok in Samut Songkhram province. As a founder of the eco-school and a local leader, Wisut has worked for more than three decades to preserve a 6.4-hectare (15.8-acre) patch of mangrove forest next to his village. Mudskippers and iridescent fiddler crabs flit between the tangled roots of the pair of 7.5-meter (25-foot) mangrove trees as the tide laps relentlessly beneath the raised walkway — a reminder that this section of coastline is rapidly eroding. Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) estimates that some parts of the Gulf of Thailand lose up to 5 m (16 ft) of land to sea level rise per year. The erosion is a pressing issue in Bang Kaew, where 80% of residents rely on inshore fishing, salt panning, and aquaculture — livelihoods jeopardized by coastal land loss. Concerned about their future, Wisut and local activists initiated a mangrove conservation project in 2008 that culminated in the construction of 5 kilometers (3 miles) of bamboo fencing along the coastline to ease the impact of waves and trap mud, creating&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/10/thailands-budding-mangrove-restoration-plans-spark-both-hope-and-concern/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/10/thailands-budding-mangrove-restoration-plans-spark-both-hope-and-concern/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-288798</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesian fishers mount a community-led fight against destructive fishing</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesia-fishers-marine-patrol-pokmaswas-destructive-illegal-fishing/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesia-fishers-marine-patrol-pokmaswas-destructive-illegal-fishing/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Jun 2024 16:25:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Fathul RakhmanWahyu Chandra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/04092357/Pokmaswas03-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=282928</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, South Sulawesi, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Crime, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Illegal Fishing, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[TAKALAR/EAST LOMBOK/JAKARTA, Indonesia — Mustam Daeng Beta exhaled slowly before he began describing his time as a young fisherman many years ago. “Fish bombing was regular, also using poison,” Daeng Beta told Mongabay Indonesia in an interview on April 22 at his home in the village of Tompotana in Indonesia’s Takalar district, South Sulawesi province. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[TAKALAR/EAST LOMBOK/JAKARTA, Indonesia — Mustam Daeng Beta exhaled slowly before he began describing his time as a young fisherman many years ago. “Fish bombing was regular, also using poison,” Daeng Beta told Mongabay Indonesia in an interview on April 22 at his home in the village of Tompotana in Indonesia’s Takalar district, South Sulawesi province. “[We] never got caught, maybe because my boss had the backing from a certain side. But that was a very long time ago.” On the island of Lombok, some 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of Takalar, across the Flores Sea, tour guide and certified scuba diver Herman also recalled dynamite fishing taking place with impunity. His home village of Padak Guar, in East Lombok district, features an expansive coral reef that Herman said was a key spawning and breeding site for fish. Locals initially fished with lines and nets, he said, until increasing demand for seafood drove them to more effective but also more destructive gear: trawl nets, potassium cyanide, and explosives. “I used to hear the racket from fish bombing,” Herman told Mongabay Indonesia in an interview in January. Daeng Beta, right, with a fellow member of the Pokmaswas group in Takalar district, South Sulawesi province. Image by Wahyu Chandra/Mongabay Indonesia. Herman is a member of the Pokmaswas group in East Lombok district, West Nusa Tenggara province. Image by Fathul Rakhman/Mongabay Indonesia. Both Daeng Beta and Herman had witnessed the damage that these kinds of fishing techniques were wreaking on the marine ecosystems in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesia-fishers-marine-patrol-pokmaswas-destructive-illegal-fishing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesia-fishers-marine-patrol-pokmaswas-destructive-illegal-fishing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-282928</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>In Raja Ampat, pearl farming balances business and ecological sustainability</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/pearl-farming-raja-ampat-indonesia-marine-fisheries-pacific-business-sustainability/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/pearl-farming-raja-ampat-indonesia-marine-fisheries-pacific-business-sustainability/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Mar 2024 13:55:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/03/19121612/9-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=279998</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Aquaculture, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Crime, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Illegal Fishing, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Sedimentation, Sustainability, and Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[RAJA AMPAT, Indonesia — Tucked in the curve of a bay in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, a floating structure appears like the tip of an iceberg. Below the surface, it’s teeming with oysters bearing pearls. Marina de Olivera Kaesnube, 27, is about to start her workday on a January morning. Her office is the floating [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[RAJA AMPAT, Indonesia — Tucked in the curve of a bay in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, a floating structure appears like the tip of an iceberg. Below the surface, it’s teeming with oysters bearing pearls. Marina de Olivera Kaesnube, 27, is about to start her workday on a January morning. Her office is the floating cage that holds thousands of Pinctada maxima pearl oysters. She has one job to do, but it’s arguably the most important: injecting a bead, known as the nucleus, into each oyster’s tissue. It’s around this nucleus that the oyster will secrete layer after layer of nacre, eventually yielding a highly prized pearl. “Besides earning a living, I decided to join because I was interested in learning about pearl oyster farming, especially in this surgery process,” Marina tells Mongabay. The marine ecosystem of the Raja Ampat Islands in the Indonesian province of West Papua forms a global biodiversity hotspot, with much of its waters still healthy. This tiny archipelago is a natural habitat for pearl oysters in Southeast Asia, where pearling has a long history. In the nearby Sulu and Celebes Seas and Aru Islands, harvesting of pearls from oysters in the wild is the main form of the pearling industry. Throughout centuries of pearling, there was little thought given to the long-term sustainability of grabbing oysters from the seafloor, shucking them open to get the pearl, and killing them in the process. It was commonly believed that depleted oyster populations would replenish quickly from untouched&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/pearl-farming-raja-ampat-indonesia-marine-fisheries-pacific-business-sustainability/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/pearl-farming-raja-ampat-indonesia-marine-fisheries-pacific-business-sustainability/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-279998</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia launches new front in climate campaign focusing on seagrass</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/indonesia-seagrass-climate-mitigation-emissions-reduction-carbon-marine/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/indonesia-seagrass-climate-mitigation-emissions-reduction-carbon-marine/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Nov 2023 15:01:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/02/27042810/Padang-lamun-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=275649</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Global Environmental Crisis, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Seagrass, and Sedimentation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia has launched a climate mitigation plan focusing on the country’s seagrass meadows, an overlooked ecosystem that ranks among the most efficient carbon sinks on the planet. The country is home to 11.5% of the world’s seagrass meadows, a position the government wants to leverage to increase its carbon storage options. Experts have [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia has launched a climate mitigation plan focusing on the country’s seagrass meadows, an overlooked ecosystem that ranks among the most efficient carbon sinks on the planet. The country is home to 11.5% of the world’s seagrass meadows, a position the government wants to leverage to increase its carbon storage options. Experts have calculated seagrass sequestration of carbon per given area at 35 times greater than that of tropical rainforests. “Addressing the complex issues of climate change requires commitment and diverse solutions,” Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the Indonesian minister of marine affairs and fisheries, said in a statement announcing the Seagrass Blue Carbon Mitigation Action Profile. He added the plan is expected to be part of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas reduction goals that it committed to as part of the Paris climate agreement. The plan will also “serve as a roadmap to set the pace towards a more sustainable and resilient future,” Sakti said. Residents of Auki Island in Indonesia&#8217;s Papua province have for generations depended on the rich resources of their coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass, mangroves and marine life. They’ve established rules to manage these resources in a sustainable way. Image by Ridzki R. Sigit/Mongabay Indonesia. In Indonesia’s updated commitment to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement, known as its nationally determined contribution, or NDC, the government has targeted a 31.8% reduction from the business-as-usual scenario, and 43.2% with the aid of the international community. Sectors where it sees the most potential for emissions cuts include land use&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/indonesia-seagrass-climate-mitigation-emissions-reduction-carbon-marine/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/indonesia-seagrass-climate-mitigation-emissions-reduction-carbon-marine/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-275649</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>For the oceans, global community must fund Sustainable Development Goal 14 (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/for-the-oceans-global-community-must-fund-sustainable-development-goal-14-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/for-the-oceans-global-community-must-fund-sustainable-development-goal-14-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2023 16:30:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Eric Schwaab]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/02/18064400/DJI_0583-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=273410</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, climate finance, Commentary, Conservation, Conservation Finance, Ecosystems, Finance, Food, food security, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, philanthropy, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When the sustainable development community gathers in New York on September 18-19 it would do well to answer an important call. Our ocean is calling for our help — and the call is being placed not just on behalf of the ocean itself, but for the billions of people around the globe who depend on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When the sustainable development community gathers in New York on September 18-19 it would do well to answer an important call. Our ocean is calling for our help — and the call is being placed not just on behalf of the ocean itself, but for the billions of people around the globe who depend on ocean action to meet a range of critical sustainable development goals. Investing in our ocean is an investment in climate mitigation, food security, community resilience, gender equity and poverty alleviation.  Yet historically, the ocean gets far too little attention on the international stage. We continue to neglect it at our peril. We have already seen just this year catastrophic headlines: hot tub temperatures fueling unprecedented storm events; massive loss of coral reefs in the Florida Keys and elsewhere, destroying habitats critical to a wide range of important fish species; and even the threat of vital ocean currents collapsing. These crises make clear the connections between a healthy ocean and healthy communities — both at the water’s edge and far inland. The ocean impacts every person on the planet.   Squid. Image by Jeff Hester / Ocean Image Bank. The 2023 SDG Summit is proposed to mark “the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals with high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030.” The goals were formulated in 2015 to create a roadmap for a thriving planet, both for the environment and people. The new beginning&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/for-the-oceans-global-community-must-fund-sustainable-development-goal-14-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/for-the-oceans-global-community-must-fund-sustainable-development-goal-14-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-273410</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Blue carbon deserves a green light for the climate fight (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/blue-carbon-deserves-a-green-light-for-the-climate-fight-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/blue-carbon-deserves-a-green-light-for-the-climate-fight-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2023 19:26:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Steve Trent]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/06/15143956/22-seagrass-restoration-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=270499</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Carbon Offsets, Climate, Climate Change, Commentary, Ecosystems, Marine, Marine Conservation, Mitigation, Nature-based climate solutions, Oceans, Plants, Seagrass, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Blue carbon – the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems – is an unsung ally in our fight against the climate crisis. Marine vegetated habitats like mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes, and kelp cover just 0.2% of the ocean surface, but they contain 50% of the carbon sequestered in marine sediments. We should be prioritizing [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Blue carbon – the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems – is an unsung ally in our fight against the climate crisis. Marine vegetated habitats like mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes, and kelp cover just 0.2% of the ocean surface, but they contain 50% of the carbon sequestered in marine sediments. We should be prioritizing them, but instead we are watching them disappear before our eyes. Approximately 35% of the world’s mangroves and 30% of all seagrass meadows have been lost or degraded over the last century. We are at the start of an ‘extreme’ and ‘unprecedented’ climate crisis, and we are failing to protect the very ecosystems which could help us avert it. For example, a Mediterranean seagrass called Posidonia oceanica can sequester carbon at up to 70 times the rate of tropical forests. Yet the area it covers has shrunk by around 35% over the last 50 years, as a result of pollution, global heating and destructive fishing techniques. A healthy seagrass meadow. Image courtesy of Susantha Udagedara. Seagrasses, kelp, mangroves and salt marshes could all help us avoid runaway climate change if we let them. Beyond the coasts, whales also store vast amounts of carbon in their bodies. A single great whale can sequester 33 tons of CO2, which is safely stored on the seafloor when it dies and sinks. They maintain healthy levels of phytoplankton – which fix carbon from the atmosphere into the ocean – through their faeces, and their migrations circulate nutrients through the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/blue-carbon-deserves-a-green-light-for-the-climate-fight-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/blue-carbon-deserves-a-green-light-for-the-climate-fight-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-270499</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Island shopping: Cambodian officials buy up the Cardamoms’ coast</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/island-shopping-cambodian-officials-buy-up-the-cardamoms-coast/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/island-shopping-cambodian-officials-buy-up-the-cardamoms-coast/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Dec 2022 03:03:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Andy BallGerald FlynnVutha Srey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/12/16015608/DJI_0430-Resized-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=263743</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Cambodia, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Blue Carbon, Carbon Sequestration, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Ecological Beauty, Ecology, Ecosystems, Ecotourism, Endangered Species, Fisheries, Forest Destruction, Habitat, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, Illegal Fishing, Islands, Land Grabbing, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Overfishing, Protected Areas, Seagrass, Seahorses, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KOH S’DACH, Cambodia — Bristling with coral reefs, marine life and palm trees, the islands dotting Cambodia’s western and southwestern coasts have long lured tourists and investors alike with white sandy beaches sloping into the azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Beyond the postcard views, limited regulation and the availability of 99-year leases for [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KOH S’DACH, Cambodia — Bristling with coral reefs, marine life and palm trees, the islands dotting Cambodia’s western and southwestern coasts have long lured tourists and investors alike with white sandy beaches sloping into the azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Beyond the postcard views, limited regulation and the availability of 99-year leases for fully foreign-owned companies have made these archipelagos a magnet for tourism magnates who, along with fugitives and government officials, have sought to cash in on the coast’s potential since the 2000s. Speculative island purchases ran rampant as Cambodia’s tourism industry grew, with islands bought up and sold on again throughout the 2010s. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, brought much of this to an abrupt halt. But as the pandemic’s grip on Cambodia loosened, Kay Samroum, chairman of the Koh Kong provincial council, announced on Feb. 4, 2022, that nine of the province’s 35 islands were slated for development. Details for the future of the province’s 237-kilometer (147-mile) coastline and its inhabitants are sparse. That same day, a deputy provincial governor, Sok Sothy, talked up the potential of the yet-to-be finished Dara Sakor international airport to serve Koh Kong’s tourism industry, although the airport’s Chinese developers have been mired in controversy. Then, on Feb. 6, Ouk Pheaktra, another of Koh Kong’s deputy provincial governors, took a delegation from the Council of the Development of Cambodia to a number of islands where investment licenses had already been issued and called on the licensees to expedite their projects. By&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/island-shopping-cambodian-officials-buy-up-the-cardamoms-coast/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/island-shopping-cambodian-officials-buy-up-the-cardamoms-coast/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-263743</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Can we build a carbon market that values nature and rewards local stewardship? (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/can-we-build-a-carbon-market-that-values-nature-and-rewards-local-stewardship-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/can-we-build-a-carbon-market-that-values-nature-and-rewards-local-stewardship-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Sep 2022 21:39:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Giulia CarboneKavita Prakash-ManiRod Taylor]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/09/15213003/podcast-widescreen-image-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=260357</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Blue Carbon, Carbon Market, Carbon Offsets, Climate Change, climate finance, Commentary, Conservation, Green, Mitigation, Nature-based climate solutions, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A tropical rainforest spanning the entire Guatemalan Caribbean coastline is among the world’s richest pockets of biodiversity. Historically, it has also experienced some of the highest global deforestation rates, driven mainly by palm oil production and cattle ranching. But a project known as the Conservation Coast run by a local NGO, Fundaeco is beginning to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A tropical rainforest spanning the entire Guatemalan Caribbean coastline is among the world’s richest pockets of biodiversity. Historically, it has also experienced some of the highest global deforestation rates, driven mainly by palm oil production and cattle ranching. But a project known as the Conservation Coast run by a local NGO, Fundaeco is beginning to turn things around. Hailed as the world’s largest grouped forest-based carbon project, it protects more than 62,000 hectares of tropical rainforest and 30 threatened species, supports close to 500 local entrepreneurs, and, to date, prevented over 6 million tonnes of climate-warming CO2 emissions being released in the atmosphere. On the other side of the globe, the Katingan Mentaya Project in Indonesia protects and restores 157,000 hectares of peat swamp forest. Immense carbon sinks that have developed over thousands of years, peat forests store 5-10 times that stored by carbon mature tropical rainforests. The project benefits 34 village communities, helps stabilize water flows critical for preventing peat fires, and protects some of the world’s most endangered animals. It has also issued an average of 7.5 million triple gold certified carbon credits per year via the voluntary carbon market since 2017. Local communities are often on the frontlines of restoration efforts that can function as nature-based climate solutions, like this project in Indonesia. Image by Wahyu Chandra/Mongabay-Indonesia. A continent over in Zambia, the Luangwa Community Forest Project is Africa’s largest REDD+ project generating income and social services to over 217,000 people. It protects over 1 million hectares&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/can-we-build-a-carbon-market-that-values-nature-and-rewards-local-stewardship-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/can-we-build-a-carbon-market-that-values-nature-and-rewards-local-stewardship-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-260357</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>The Western Indian Ocean lost 4% of its mangroves in 24 years, report finds</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/the-western-indian-ocean-lost-4-of-its-mangroves-in-24-years-report-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/the-western-indian-ocean-lost-4-of-its-mangroves-in-24-years-report-finds/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Sep 2022 23:56:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mark Hillsdon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Morgan Erickson-Davis]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/09/07233715/Nosy_LONJO_-_Antsiranana-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=260060</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Forest Trackers]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, Indian Ocean, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Blue Carbon, carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Deforestation, Development, Environment, Forests, Global Warming, Green, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Habitat Loss, Mangroves, Mitigation, Poverty, Timber, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new analysis of satellite data finds the Western Indian Ocean region lost around 4% its mangrove forests over the past quarter-century. In a report that discusses the state of these mangroves, the authors write that their findings provide decision-makers with the high-quality, reliable data they need to protect these threatened coastal forests. Published July [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new analysis of satellite data finds the Western Indian Ocean region lost around 4% its mangrove forests over the past quarter-century. In a report that discusses the state of these mangroves, the authors write that their findings provide decision-makers with the high-quality, reliable data they need to protect these threatened coastal forests. Published July 2022 by Wetlands International, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the report focuses on mangrove coverage in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique, which together account for 5% of the world&#8217;s mangroves. The mangroves of the Western Indian Ocean are spread along the coasts of four countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. The report is based on analysis of satellite data collected by online monitoring platform Global Mangrove Watch (GMW) and builds on a 2020 global report. It is the first of several studies that will look more closely at what can be done to restore mangroves in specific regions, says Paul Erftemeijer, an independent marine scientist and one of the report’s authors. The analysts used an algorithm to extract information from satellite imagery, turning this data into a map that showed the extent of existing mangroves forests. By focussing on a particular region, researchers can extract much more detailed information which, along with traditional fieldwork, offers: “a systematic approach that gets us as close as we can to the reality,” Erftemeijer says. The report covers 1996-2020 and reveals that the region lost 30,156 hectares (3.9%) of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/the-western-indian-ocean-lost-4-of-its-mangroves-in-24-years-report-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/the-western-indian-ocean-lost-4-of-its-mangroves-in-24-years-report-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-260060</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Niger Delta mangroves in ‘grave danger’ from oil spills, poverty, invasive species</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/niger-delta-mangroves-in-grave-danger-from-oil-spills-extraction-invasive-species/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/niger-delta-mangroves-in-grave-danger-from-oil-spills-extraction-invasive-species/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Aug 2022 20:19:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Orji Sunday]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Morgan Erickson-Davis]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/08/22185039/IMG_7886-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=259435</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Forest Trackers]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Nigeria, and West Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Community Development, Community-based Conservation, Deforestation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest Loss, Forests, Global Warming, Green, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Logging, Mangroves, Marine, Mitigation, Poverty, Reforestation, Restoration, Soil Carbon, Timber, Tropical Forests, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BODO, Nigeria — Christian Kpandei is a man of many memories. Still, the vital incidents of his life, like the death of his childhood hero, environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, grow blurry and remote as time wears on. One series of events, however, with its decade-old vestiges, has remained as clear as the sunrise at dawn. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BODO, Nigeria — Christian Kpandei is a man of many memories. Still, the vital incidents of his life, like the death of his childhood hero, environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, grow blurry and remote as time wears on. One series of events, however, with its decade-old vestiges, has remained as clear as the sunrise at dawn. Twice, in 2008 and again in 2009, a pipeline owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) ruptured, releasing more than 600,000 barrels of crude oil into Bodo Creek in the Ogoniland region of southern Nigeria. In a report, Amnesty International said the spills had a “catastrophic impact” on the area, home to vast mangrove forests and rich ancient wetlands. “It is just the kind of feeling one has when he loses a job. I was shocked. For three days, I couldn’t speak a word to anyone,” Kpandei told Mongabay. “People came from far and near to bear witness to the catastrophe … Oil floated on the surface of the water.” A waterway in the Niger Delta. Image by Orji Sunday for Mongabay. Kpandei lost 0.4 hectares (1 acre) of his fish-farming operation, his tilapia killed by the spill. He said the mangrove forest, normally lush and green, turned grayish-yellow, and recounted how even gentle gusts of the sunset breeze would litter the mangrove coastline with leaves fallen from withering branches. “It was humanly unacceptable. About 2,000 acres [800 hectares] of land, originally covered by dense mangrove forest, all died. Today, the whole place&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/niger-delta-mangroves-in-grave-danger-from-oil-spills-extraction-invasive-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/niger-delta-mangroves-in-grave-danger-from-oil-spills-extraction-invasive-species/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-259435</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Overlooked and at risk, seagrass is habitat of choice for many small-scale fishers</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/overlooked-and-at-risk-seagrass-is-habitat-of-choice-for-many-small-scale-fishers/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/overlooked-and-at-risk-seagrass-is-habitat-of-choice-for-many-small-scale-fishers/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Aug 2022 15:51:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/08/10072000/image1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=259008</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Agriculture, Animals, Aquaculture, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Farming, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Global Environmental Crisis, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Illegal Fishing, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Seagrass, Sedimentation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Seagrass meadows are the fishing grounds of choice for many households in four Indo-Pacific countries, according to a new study that calls for better-informed management of these often-overlooked marine habitats. It found that small-scale fishers in 147 coastal villages in four tropical countries — Cambodia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Indonesia — rely primarily [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Seagrass meadows are the fishing grounds of choice for many households in four Indo-Pacific countries, according to a new study that calls for better-informed management of these often-overlooked marine habitats. It found that small-scale fishers in 147 coastal villages in four tropical countries — Cambodia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Indonesia — rely primarily on seagrass meadows, saying these habitats are reliable, suitable, familiar, and accessible. The study, published in June in the journal Ocean &amp; Coastal Management, noted that this finding should prompt a rethink of general perceptions of small-scale fisheries. “Nearly half of all households we talked to preferred fishing in seagrass over other habitats such as coral, mangroves, open ocean, mud and rock for example,” lead author Benjamin Jones, a doctoral candidate in the department of ecology environment and plant sciences at Stockholm University, said in a statement. A fisherman catches fish without the need for a boat in Bali, Indonesia. Image courtesy of Benjamin Jones. “This was surprising because most people think of reef fisheries as the key tropical small-scale fishery, but we show that its actually engagement in seagrass fisheries that are much more characteristic of households,” Jones added. Jones and his colleagues analyzed interviews with 1,105 households conducted between 2012 and 2017, where 869 identified as fishers, in areas where both seagrass meadows and coral reefs were present. They found that nearly two-thirds of the fishers used seagrass meadows the most as their fishing ground, either exclusively or as part of multiple options.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/overlooked-and-at-risk-seagrass-is-habitat-of-choice-for-many-small-scale-fishers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/overlooked-and-at-risk-seagrass-is-habitat-of-choice-for-many-small-scale-fishers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-259008</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists strive to restore world’s embattled kelp forests</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/scientists-strive-to-restore-worlds-embattled-kelp-forests/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/scientists-strive-to-restore-worlds-embattled-kelp-forests/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2022 20:42:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elizabeth Devitt]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Glenn Scherer]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/07/06072625/1.-Giant-kelp-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=258012</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Covering the Commons and Planetary Boundaries]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Australia, California, Global, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, Tasmania, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Aquaculture, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, carbon, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Conservation Technology, Ecosystems, Environment, Global Environmental Crisis, Green, Impact Of Climate Change, Marine, Marine Conservation, Ocean Warming, Oceans, Research, Restoration, Seagrass, Technology, and Wildtech]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Earth’s vast underwater kelp forests are a vital source of food, pharmaceuticals, and more, while storing huge amounts of carbon. These undersea forests are also at risk, but researchers are working to restore them.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Hidden beneath the waterline, the world’s kelp forests grow along more than one-quarter of all seacoasts, supporting a richness of biodiversity that naturalist Charles Darwin believed could rival that of tropical rainforests. But also unseen, these critical habitats are vanishing due to warming ocean currents, pollution, overharvesting and other human impacts. Despite centuries of accumulated knowledge gained from seaweed cultivation in Pacific Rim countries, the regional declines of kelp beds and recent sudden wipeouts of vast kelp strongholds have underscored just how little conservationists know about protecting or restoring these vital undersea forests, says Karen Filbee-Dexter, a University of Western Australia marine ecologist who studies climate change impacts on kelp. &#8220;Kelp forests are under appreciated and understudied compared to other coastal ecosystems,” says Filbee-Dexter. “But we need to better understand them. They are one of the most extensive marine life plant habitats that we have on Earth, [while] the evidence is overwhelming showing that they are changing really rapidly.” Researchers first got a wakeup call when marine heatwaves abruptly devastated entire kelp forests on the Tasmanian coast in 2011, and in Northern California in 2014. When the towering stalks and blades of kelp went away, so too did many marine species they supported. And as rock lobster, abalone and fish vanished, commercial fisheries worth millions shut down. Additionally, losing wild kelp forests reduces protection of coastal communities from storm surges and removes an important carbon sink. Scientists estimate that the world’s kelp forests store anywhere from 61 to 268 teragrams&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/scientists-strive-to-restore-worlds-embattled-kelp-forests/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/scientists-strive-to-restore-worlds-embattled-kelp-forests/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-258012</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Fisher groups are the marine militia in Indonesia’s war on illegal fishing</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/fisher-groups-are-the-marine-militia-in-indonesias-war-on-illegal-fishing/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/fisher-groups-are-the-marine-militia-in-indonesias-war-on-illegal-fishing/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 May 2022 15:25:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/05/06101340/IMG_3063-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=255538</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Crime, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Gender, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Illegal Fishing, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[RAJA AMPAT, Indonesia — Esterlita Jabu says she still remembers the gut-wrenching horror of hearing explosions from blast fishers near the beach where she played as a child with her friends. “Not only you could hear it, but also you could feel the vibrations,” she tells Mongabay during a visit to her village on the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[RAJA AMPAT, Indonesia — Esterlita Jabu says she still remembers the gut-wrenching horror of hearing explosions from blast fishers near the beach where she played as a child with her friends. “Not only you could hear it, but also you could feel the vibrations,” she tells Mongabay during a visit to her village on the island of Mutus in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago. Today, 33-year-old Esterlita is a member of the island’s community volunteer group that patrols the waters for illegal and destructive fishing. Methods such as blast fishing and cyanide fishing flourished in the waters of Raja Ampat since the 1980s in response to rising commercial seafood demand. By 2006, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing accounted for 20% of the total reef fish catch. These practices have also been blamed by local fishers for causing declines in fish catch and posing the greatest threat to fisheries resources. Esterlita Jabu, left, is a member of the Pokmaswas, a community-run marine surveillance group, on Mutus Island in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago. Image by Basten Gokkon/Mongabay. Indonesia’s marine area covers 5.8 million square kilometers (2.2 million square miles) and is home to the highest coral reef fish diversity in the world. High levels of monitoring, surveillance and enforcement are needed to effectively prevent destructive fishing and protect marine resources, experts say. However, regular patrols are costly and limited due to lack of infrastructure and human resources, especially for a massive archipelago like Indonesia with its thousands of islands. The fisheries ministry&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/fisher-groups-are-the-marine-militia-in-indonesias-war-on-illegal-fishing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-255538</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>A seagrass restoration project to preserve the past may also protect the future</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/a-seagrass-restoration-project-to-preserve-the-past-may-also-protect-the-future/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/a-seagrass-restoration-project-to-preserve-the-past-may-also-protect-the-future/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 May 2022 06:23:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/05/02075141/20220325_103037-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=255357</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Marine Conservation, Mongabay Data Studio, Oceans, Seagrass, Sedimentation, and Women In Science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[WEST YENSAWAI, Indonesia — Linani Arifin says she never thought the flapping seagrass growing along the beach in her hometown in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago would be key to protecting the graveyard of her ancestors. Seagrass, an underwater flowering plant, covers much of the 45,300-hectare (112,000-acre) Batanta Island, where Linani was born and raised. “We [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[WEST YENSAWAI, Indonesia — Linani Arifin says she never thought the flapping seagrass growing along the beach in her hometown in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago would be key to protecting the graveyard of her ancestors. Seagrass, an underwater flowering plant, covers much of the 45,300-hectare (112,000-acre) Batanta Island, where Linani was born and raised. “We call it andoi here,” the 40-year-old tells Mongabay during a visit in March to her village of West Yensawai. Like many in the village, Linani had noticed the gradual erosion spreading along the island’s coast. The seagrass meadows were becoming patchy, while the mangrove thickets were slowly thinning. The biggest red flag, Linani says, was when the coastline had clearly crept close to the only graveyard on Batanta. Linani Arifin, 40, is the leader of a seagrass restoration group in West Yensawai village, on the island of Batanta. Image by Basten Gokkon/Mongabay. Globally, seagrasses are disappearing at rates that rival those of coral reefs and tropical rainforests, losing as much as 7% of their area each year, according to the IUCN. Threats to seagrass meadows come from climate change, pollution, coastal development, and the spread of invasive species. More than 70 species of seagrass worldwide cover a global area estimated at up to 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) — an area larger than the island of Madagascar. Indonesia is widely considered an important country for seagrass conservation. Researchers in 1994 estimated that the country housed 30,000 km2 (11,600 mi2) of seagrass, perhaps the world’s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/a-seagrass-restoration-project-to-preserve-the-past-may-also-protect-the-future/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/a-seagrass-restoration-project-to-preserve-the-past-may-also-protect-the-future/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-255357</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Community project helps Kenya aim for climate goals one mangrove tree at a time</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/community-project-helps-kenya-aim-for-climate-goals-one-mangrove-tree-at-a-time/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/community-project-helps-kenya-aim-for-climate-goals-one-mangrove-tree-at-a-time/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jan 2022 17:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Joyce Chimbi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/01/07213728/Harith-Mohamed-Suleiman-says-mangrove-roots-protect-shorelines.-Photo-Joyce-Chimbi-scaled-e1641591859364-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=251566</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples and Conservation and Indigenous-led conservation]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, carbon, Carbon Credits, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Forest Carbon, Forests, Green, Indigenous Peoples, Mangroves, Plants, Politics, and Reforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KWALE COUNTY, Kenya — More than 20 years ago, along the lush southeastern coast of Kenya, the area known as Vanga Bay was home to a mangrove forest spanning 4,428 hectares (10,942 acres). But some 18 hectares (44 acres) of mangroves have been lost every year for the past 25 years, a total of 451 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KWALE COUNTY, Kenya — More than 20 years ago, along the lush southeastern coast of Kenya, the area known as Vanga Bay was home to a mangrove forest spanning 4,428 hectares (10,942 acres). But some 18 hectares (44 acres) of mangroves have been lost every year for the past 25 years, a total of 451 hectares (1,114 acres) during this period. Mangrove harvesting has been underway here since 1991 by local communities; according to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, approximately 87% of the Kwale county’s households use mangrove wood as fuelwood and building material, The overharvesting of the trees destroys the mangrove forest’s capacity to act as the first line of defense against ocean-related catastrophes. Studies show that mangrove forests offer multiple benefits related to both mitigating and adapting to climate change. They absorb three to four times more carbon than tropical upland forests and reduce the debilitating effects of floods, and their complex root networks are known to serve as a buffer against strong waves, high winds and storm surges for coastal communities. In Vanga Bay, the loss of the forests is being keenly felt. “We are vulnerable to recurrent floods from heavy rains in April and October, and sea level rise,” says Harith Mohamed Suleiman, a member of an Indigenous community at the forefront of promoting mangrove conservation and restoration. Indigenous ethnic groups living along the Vanga Bay coastline include the Digo, Duruma, Shirazi, Wapemba and Wagunga peoples. Mwanarusi Mwafrica Salim explianing the importance of restoring&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/community-project-helps-kenya-aim-for-climate-goals-one-mangrove-tree-at-a-time/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/community-project-helps-kenya-aim-for-climate-goals-one-mangrove-tree-at-a-time/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-251566</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>We must reverse the pressures on coral reefs before it’s too late (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/we-must-reverse-the-pressures-on-coral-reefs-before-its-too-late-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/we-must-reverse-the-pressures-on-coral-reefs-before-its-too-late-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Dec 2021 17:33:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[David OburaMelita Samoilys]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/12/05201258/Cheryl-Samantha-Owen_SOSF-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=250212</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, blue economy, Climate Change, Commentary, Conservation, Coral Bleaching, Coral Reefs, Environment, Green, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the 1970s, coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean were relatively untouched by people. Today, these same reefs are at a tipping point with more than 69 million people living in the coastal zones of the region. Mounting pressures from climate change, overfishing, and pollution, have caused all reefs across the region to be [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the 1970s, coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean were relatively untouched by people. Today, these same reefs are at a tipping point with more than 69 million people living in the coastal zones of the region. Mounting pressures from climate change, overfishing, and pollution, have caused all reefs across the region to be at high risk of collapse — within merely decades. Our study brought together researchers from more than 35 organizations over the last 2 years, published in the journal Nature Sustainability on 6 November 2021. We found that of the 11 subregions of the Western Indian Ocean, coral reefs in four subregions were ‘Critically Endangered’ and three were ‘Endangered’ due to anticipated climate change in the next 50 years. Four eco-regions were ‘Vulnerable’ to collapse, from overfishing impacts already experienced over the last 50 years. No reefs in the Western Indian Ocean were classed as not being in danger of collapse. Healthy reef in Tanzania. Photo credit: David Obura Bleached corals in Mayotte. Photo credit: David Obura Let us repeat: No reefs in the Western Indian ocean are safe from collapse in the next 50 years. Our study included Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa on the coast of East Africa, and the neighboring islands of Comoros, Madagascar, Reunion, Seychelles, and Mauritius. Our approach takes the data published in the global coral reef status update released on 5 October 2021, adds detail through incorporating finer resolution data available within the region, and interprets the patterns through&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/we-must-reverse-the-pressures-on-coral-reefs-before-its-too-late-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/we-must-reverse-the-pressures-on-coral-reefs-before-its-too-late-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-250212</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Even as the government bets big on carbon, REDD+ flounders in Madagascar</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/even-as-the-government-bets-big-on-carbon-redd-flounders-in-madagascar/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/even-as-the-government-bets-big-on-carbon-redd-flounders-in-madagascar/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Aug 2021 12:38:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malavika Vyawahare]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/08/17140157/madagascar_7921-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=246007</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conservation in Madagascar]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa and Madagascar]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Blue Carbon, carbon, Carbon Credits, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint, Carbon Market, Climate, Climate Change, climate finance, Forests, Mangroves, Rainforests, Redd, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[REDD+ is an idea that has launched a thousand projects. It’s essentially a way to monetize forests’ ability to store carbon and put that money in the hands of communities who can protect them. Blue Ventures, a U.K.-based NGO, saw the U.N.’s reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) program as an opportunity to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[REDD+ is an idea that has launched a thousand projects. It’s essentially a way to monetize forests’ ability to store carbon and put that money in the hands of communities who can protect them. Blue Ventures, a U.K.-based NGO, saw the U.N.’s reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) program as an opportunity to finance conservation in Madagascar. It was an attractive proposition, tackling two of the African nation’s most debilitating problems — forest destruction and poverty — at once. Along with a Malagasy association, the nonprofit launched the Tahiry Honko project in 2018 to sell carbon credits generated by mangroves. But three years on, the project has yet to sell a single carbon credit. Madagascar is a potentially excellent site for REDD+, but only a handful of projects spearheaded by foreign NGOs have taken root here. The government’s recent move to centralize control over carbon credits has created confusion over the fate of these projects and the future of REDD+ in Madagascar.  In the gray The Malagasy government placed a moratorium on the sale of carbon credits three years ago.  Under President Andry Rajoelina, the country set out to nationalize its carbon rights. As a result, all its REDD+ initiatives, including Blue Ventures’ Tahiry Honko, were put on hold. The country’s environment minister singled out the project for criticism for selling the Malagasy people and the government short. The 20-year project was initially supposed to pull in $27,000 a year at around $20 per credit. Half the funds&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/even-as-the-government-bets-big-on-carbon-redd-flounders-in-madagascar/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/even-as-the-government-bets-big-on-carbon-redd-flounders-in-madagascar/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-246007</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Seagrass-grazing dugongs and green sea turtles supercharge the seeds they eat</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/seagrass-grazing-dugongs-and-green-sea-turtles-supercharge-the-seeds-they-eat/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/seagrass-grazing-dugongs-and-green-sea-turtles-supercharge-the-seeds-they-eat/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Aug 2021 03:51:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Carolyn Cowan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Carolyncowan]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/08/11032625/Dugong-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=245794</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Australia and Great Barrier Reef]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, Nature-based climate solutions, Oceans, Sea Turtles, Solutions, Tropical Conservation Science, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For decades, scientists speculated that seagrass seeds served only as a backup to vegetative proliferation; they settled into the sand beneath their parent plants, ready to germinate if anything untoward befell the living meadow. But according to findings published recently in Biotropica, the tiny seeds can disperse over hundreds of miles, and thereafter can germinate [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For decades, scientists speculated that seagrass seeds served only as a backup to vegetative proliferation; they settled into the sand beneath their parent plants, ready to germinate if anything untoward befell the living meadow. But according to findings published recently in Biotropica, the tiny seeds can disperse over hundreds of miles, and thereafter can germinate rapidly. However, they must first suffer the indignity of being ingested and pooped out by dugongs (Dugong dugong) or green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). The new research provides the first evidence that seagrass seeds that have passed through the digestive tracts of these marine mega-herbivores have enhanced germination potential. Although it’s common knowledge that terrestrial animals boost the germination potential of the fruits and seeds they eat, “for some unknown reason, no one had actually gone out and seen whether that was true for dugongs, turtles and seagrasses,” lead author Samantha Tol, a marine ecologist at James Cook University, Australia, told Mongabay. “Not only are the seeds germinating, they germinate at a far faster rate than what we’re used to with seagrasses … it confirms that dugongs and turtles are helping to maintain seagrass meadows, keeping them healthy and resilient,” Tol said. A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) feeding seagrass in an intertidal meadow at Lizard Island, Queensland. Image courtesy of TropWATER, James Cook University Vital ecosystems While seagrass meadows have a somewhat lower profile than other coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs or mangroves, they are considered to be one of the most vital&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/seagrass-grazing-dugongs-and-green-sea-turtles-supercharge-the-seeds-they-eat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/seagrass-grazing-dugongs-and-green-sea-turtles-supercharge-the-seeds-they-eat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-245794</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>The climate crisis solutions we need are already here (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/the-climate-crisis-solutions-we-need-are-already-here-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/the-climate-crisis-solutions-we-need-are-already-here-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 May 2021 20:58:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Steve Trent]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/10/30160340/Mangrove_fort_future-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=242479</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Climate Justice, Commentary, and Natural Capital]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[I am not here to give you a startling new angle on the climate crisis. I cannot claim to have the silver bullet, the awe-inspiring technology that will solve all our problems at a stroke. But as someone who has worked on this issue for the past 30 years, listening to those on the frontlines [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[I am not here to give you a startling new angle on the climate crisis. I cannot claim to have the silver bullet, the awe-inspiring technology that will solve all our problems at a stroke. But as someone who has worked on this issue for the past 30 years, listening to those on the frontlines of the crisis, speaking to the scientists examining the data, what I do see is this: We have nearly all the solutions needed at our fingertips. Let’s lay out the stark facts. If we do not reach zero carbon by 2035 at the latest, we will be the authors of our own devastation. Countless species extinctions will lead to the breakdown of the ecosystems that are humanity’s life support, and untold numbers of people will suffer and die. Communities will be ripped apart. If we do not act now, history will judge all who could have raised their voices and played their part. But hope is not yet lost. The solutions to the climate crisis are here. They start with the clearest, most compelling actions we must take: stop extracting all carbon-based fuels now; stop investing in them and rapidly stop using them. There are no alternatives to these actions – carbon capture by technology or indeed by nature will not now alone save us, and each day we continue with our addiction to carbon brings us closer to the point of no return. So, how do we turn off the carbon tap?  Put simply,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/the-climate-crisis-solutions-we-need-are-already-here-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-242479</doi>				</item>
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