A Forest You Can't See
Imagine a forest that never loses its leaves
A forest where fish dart between the branches and sea stars cling to the roots
A forest that grows underwater
Come explore the secret ecosystems under the sea….
Along with mangrove forests and salt marshes, seagrass meadows constitute a major component of Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs) worldwide
Journey through a seagrass meadow with us…
At first glance, a seagrass meadow may seem like a simple underwater field of waving green leaves. But underneath the surface lies one of the most productive and important ecosystems on Earth. Seagrasses are flowering plants that have adapted to life in the ocean, forming vast underwater meadows that provide food, shelter, and nursery habitat for thousands of marine species.
Beneath the sediment, an extensive network of roots and rhizomes stabilizes the seafloor and stores carbon for decades to centuries.
Seagrass covers less than 0.1% of the ocean surface, but makes up 10-18% of the carbon the ocean traps every year!
Every carbon atom has a story.
A carbon atom released into the atmosphere may drift through the air for years before being absorbed by the ocean which acts as a giant carbon sponge. Once trapped beneath the sediment, a single carbon atom may remain stored for decades or even centuries…
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