Blue carbon and climate change

Estuaries have the capability to sequester carbon, which helps reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere… but how much carbon they trap is unknown in the Pacific Northwest.  The Estuary Technical Group, along with folks from Oregon State University and Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST), went to Astoria to try and answer this question.  Cores were hammered 2 meters into the ground, retrieved, and are now being analyzed at Oregon State University to quantify carbon sequestration rates. Determining carbon trapping capabilities will help advocate for estuary restoration, as if native plants, better water quality and fish habitat weren’t enough!

Photo: Rob Wheatcroft (OSU), David Beugli and Narayan Elasmar (CREST) retrieve a carbon core in Astoria.