Coastal ecosystems formed by macroalgae, seagrasses and salt marshes, also known as blue forests, are amongst the most valuable ecosystems on earth. Blue forests provide key ecosystem services for human well-being. Yet this role is still widely underappreciated in society, jeopardising the conservation of these habitats that are declining worldwide.

This project aims to address these issues by developing education activities and materials for an audience ranging from students to teachers, decision-makers and environmental authorities, media and maritime tourism professionals. The project's team works with these audiences to develop their skills and competencies, providing capacity-building that results in higher awareness to drive the conservation of this natural capital.

GRID-Arendal leads the development of the Digital Learning Platform, featuring modules with lectures and a library of resources on the ecological, societal, and economic values of blue forests. A geo-referenced database is also developed to store, visualise and query blue carbon data collected by teachers and students in the field. Both platforms will be used in training events, such as an International Summer School on Blue Forests.

• Website
• CCMAR

Tags: biodiversity blue carbon blue forests capacity building climate change coastal ecosystems conservation education environment and health oceans web