What is blue carbon?

1. A. Carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems
2. B. Carbon sequestered in forest biomass and agricultural soils
3. C. Carbon contained in petroleum and natural gas
4. D. Carbon present in atmosphere

Answer: A

Explanation

Blue carbon is the term for carbon captured by the world’s ocean and coastal ecosystems. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer. Sea grasses, mangroves, and salt marshes along our coast “capture and hold” carbon, acting as something called a carbon sink. These coastal systems, though much smaller in size than the planet’s forests, sequester this carbon at a much faster rate, and can continue to do so for millions of years.