Portugal’s kelp forests show remarkable carbon storage abilities

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🗞️ Driving the news: For the first time, scientists have quantified the carbon storage capacity of kelp forests off northern Portugal, revealing they hold approximately 16.48 gigagrams of carbon across 5,189 hectares
• The study, conducted by Portugal’s CIIMAR and MARE research centres, confirms that these underwater marine forests are powerful carbon sinks — capturing up to one-third of the blue carbon sequestered annually by Portugal’s marine plants

🔭 The context: Kelp forests, dominated by Laminaria hyperborea and Saccorhiza polyschides, are rich ecosystems supporting biodiversity and productivity
• Despite their ecological significance, they have been absent from Portugal’s blue carbon assessments, which previously focused only on salt marshes and seagrass
• This study, published in Scientific Reports, marks the first comprehensive field-based assessment of seaweed’s role in carbon sequestration along Portugal’s northern coastline

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The research highlights kelp forests as vital but undervalued nature-based climate solutions
• Their high carbon sequestration density, even over modest areas, positions them as essential components of national and EU-level climate mitigation strategies
• However, climate change-induced tropicalisation is already altering Portuguese marine ecosystems, threatening the survival and function of these kelp habitats — and with them, their ability to capture and store carbon

⏭️ What's next: Researchers urge national and European policymakers to include kelp forests in blue carbon inventories and marine protection frameworks
• As the EU's Nature Restoration Law begins implementation, Portugal is positioned to lead in developing ecological restoration techniques for vulnerable marine habitats
• The study calls for targeted conservation, monitoring, and restoration policies to secure these ecosystems’ climate and biodiversity benefits before they are lost

💬 One quote: “These forests are often unknown and undervalued, despite their extremely important ecological and economic value… It is urgent to develop and implement effective restoration techniques in habitats like these.” — Francisco Arenas, CIIMAR

📈 One stat: Portugal’s northern kelp forests store 16.48 gigagrams of carbon — accounting for 14% of the country’s total documented blue carbon inventory

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