Scaling blue carbon restoration

Dr Nicole Foster and Dr Oscar Serrano Gras, both at the Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), are finalists of our Scientists for Nature Challenge 2026: A Quantum Leap for Biodiversity. They presented their work at the 75th Anniversary Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

Coastal ecosystems are worth millions, yet they are collapsing under the weight of climate change and human expansion into coastal zones. The loss of coastal environments such as seagrass habitats represents a real threat to fisheries, tourism, and the economies of local communities whose livelihoods are deeply connected with these ecosystems. Preserving and restoring these habitats is essential for their longevity in the face of global change, yet current funding is insufficient to sustain restoration in the long term.

At Biosfera, they propose an innovative solution: business models that manage the "land-ocean continuum", treating conservation and restoration as a multi-revenue activity rather than a cost. By diversifying income across several revenue streams, restoration can offset its own high implementation costs and reach long-term financial stability, enabling coastal communities to profit from healthy seagrass ecosystems.