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Nordic Blue Carbon

Elise Moret, Blue Forests

By Blue Forests Project

December 20^th, 2019

The Nordic Blue Carbon project and the Norwegian Blue Forests Network explore blue carbon in a Scandinavian context

Blue carbon ecosystems include mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and saltwater marshes, which are noted for their ability to store and sequester atmospheric carbon, thereby helping to address the global climate challenge.

Their importance for both climate mitigation and adaptation strategies was recently highlighted in several reports, such as the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and the Cryosphere. Further, the Nordic countries adopted a Ministerial Declaration on Oceans and Climate which extends Nordic cooperation to several areas highly relevant for blue carbon habitats.

Indeed, blue carbon habitats have an important place in the Nordic countries. According to a study by Boström et al. (2014), the Nordic seagrass meadows cover some 2'000 km2, and another study showed that some of the meadows with the highest blue carbon storage are found along the Nordic coastline. Furthermore, Gunderson et al. (2011) identified an area of Norwegian kelp forests of around 8'000 km2.

The estimates for blue carbon habitats will be updated by the Nordic Blue Carbon project by mid-2020.

Benefits

Blue carbon has a large natural sink capacity. As an example, the estimated total CO2 uptake by Norwegian kelp forests is around 11 million tons CO2 per year, with approximately 40% of this carbon exported from the coastal ecosystems.

In addition to their role as natural carbon sinks, coastal and marine habitats maintain high biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Among others, they sustain fisheries by provisioning of nursery grounds for commercial fish, they provide multiple benefits for humans through filtering water and pathogens, reducing eutrophication, and serving as protection against coastal erosion and thereby contributing to climate adaptation.

Threats

Climate change and other human impacts such as effects of marine heatwaves and potentially increased frequency and intensity of storm events, eutrophication, coastal development, and habitat fragmentation are threatening these blue forests. As underlined in the Nordic Ministerial Declaration, increased efforts in reducing other human pressures will often be the only option for strengthening the climate resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems.

Blue Carbon Solutions

Therefore, the conservation, restoration, and enhancement of blue carbon ecosystems represent a nature-based climate solution and a no-regret option for integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies. This will benefit a range of sectors such as fisheries, trade, environmental protection and water management.

Burial of Kelp Carbon in Sediments – BURSE - Norwegian Blue Forests Network

Time for action

According to a group of scientists associated with the Nordic Blue Carbon project* which signed a policy brief on Nordic Blue Carbon, there is enough scientific evidence today to underpin the importance of these coastal ecosystems. They are now calling for immediate policy actions to safeguard the Nordic Blue Carbon habitats, such as kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and rockweed beds. This will be reached by increased protection of coastal ecosystems by establishing marine protected areas and by increased efforts in reducing human pressures, such as nutrient pollution, overfishing, and habitat fragmentation.

Furthermore, they highlighted the fact that there are still urgent needs for collaborative Nordic research programs on Blue Carbon habitats. They are asking for the improvement of:

Distribution mapping and monitoring
Quantifying carbon stocks and sequestration rates
Mapping areas of high deposition of organic matter burial in the sediments
Building coastal adaptation and resilience by developing habitat restoration and protection
Improving the understanding of human pressures and effects of management measures
Definition, distribution, and function of Nordic salt marshes (not included in Nordic Blue Carbon project)

* The policy brief on Nordic Blue Carbon was signed by Guri S. Andersen (NIVA), Trine Bekkby (NIVA), Christoffer Boström (Åbo Akademi University ), Helene Frigstad (NIVA), Hege Gundersen (NIVA), Kasper Hancke (NIVA), Dorte Krause-Jensen (Aarhus University), Steven Lutz (GRID-Arendal), and Jonas Thormar (IMR).

Footnotes

Cover photo: "Seagrasses in Tonga" by Steven Lutz, Blue Forests Project / GRID-Arendal

FootNotes

Cover photo: "Seagrasses in Tonga" by Steven Lutz, Blue Forests Project / GRID-Arendal

© 2026 Blue Forests Project

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