Summary:
Blue Carbon refers to carbon captured by marine organisms and stored in living biomass, detritus, and organic material within marine sediments. Key Blue Carbon ecosystems include mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and tidal marshes. In Cuba, seagrasses cover 40% of the marine shelf, while mangrove forests occupy 50% of the coastline - representing 5% of the country’s land area and 20% of its forested area.
Recent estimates rank Cuba third globally in terms of positive net contributions to Blue Carbon sequestration. However, these figures are based on global models rather than direct local measurements. The BlueCCuba project aims to fill this gap by quantifying carbon stocks and analyzing organic matter composition (including carbon and nitrogen isotopes) in mangrove, swamp grassland, and seagrass ecosystems in Central Cuba. The findings will represent the first direct Blue Carbon data for Cuban coastal ecosystems—offering vital insights for their conservation and sustainable management.