Stuff: Sequestering carbon through marine restoration
OPINION: When we think about carbon sequestration and oxygen production, trees come to mind, right?
This is only one part of the equation. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimate 50 per cent – 80 per cent of our planet’s oxygen is produced in the ocean.
Our seas are our lungs and we need to look after them. Unlike our forests, which we can see from space, it is a lot harder to keep track of how well our marine lungs are faring. Most of us pay little attention to what goes on beneath the blue line on the horizon.
So how do the oceans sequester carbon and produce oxygen? Simply, photosynthesis from microscopic algae, seaweeds, drifting plants, sea grasses and even certain types of photosynthetic bacteria.