Coastal blue carbon ecosystems across Australia will benefit from a range of restoration projects as the Australian Government injects a $9.5million funding boost.
Five new projects will help protect, restore and sustainably manage Australia’s three main vegetated coastal habitats – mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes – also referred to as blue carbon ecosystems. Of which, Australia is home to about 12 percent of the world’s population.
These ecosystems not only play a key role for marine life and contribute to coastal livelihoods, they also absorb carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their soils, roots and plants, making them a key contributor to global action on climate change.
Blue carbon ecosystems also have the additional benefit of enhancing biodiversity, such as improving water quality as it’s running off the land back into the ocean.
The five projects were chosen due to the variety of ecosystems, the scale of restoration, their partnerships with key stakeholders and Traditional Owners, and the benefits provided to biodiversity, fishing, water quality and coastal protection.
The Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek said, “Blue carbon ecosystems provide essential breeding grounds for commercial fish, habitat for threatened marine species such as turtles and dugongs, feeding and staging grounds for migratory birds, filter water flowing into our ocean and reef systems, and contribute towards action on climate change.
These projects are a demonstration of what can be achieved through ecosystem restoration and reinforce that this work is vital for our climate, our biodiversity and people.”
Funding recipients and projects:
| Funding recipient | Project | Funding (exc. GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Coast Regional Council | Blue Heart – Blue Carbon Wetland Restoration Project Tidal restoration of former sugarcane land, involving state and local governments and with benefits for biodiversity, ecotourism and community recreation. | $2,036,000 |
| Greening Australia | Mungall Blue Carbon Project Tidal restoration of former cattle grazing property, with benefits for Indigenous heritage, ecotourism, GBR water quality, and bird and marine biodiversity. | $1,779,988 |
| The University of Adelaide | Gulf St Vincent Seagrass Restoration Project Seagrass restoration project with benefits for marine biodiversity. | $1,972,500 |
| Southern Regional Natural Resource Management | Demonstrating Outcomes of Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration of Temperate Saltmarsh Cool Climate tidal marsh restoration, with benefits for coastal protection, recreational fisheries and tourism | $793,947 |
| The Trustee for The Nature Conservancy | South Australian Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration Project Tidal marsh restoration, with benefits for migratory birds | $2,896,526 |
