Seagrass meadows play a crucial role in capturing and storing organic carbon, but they are under threat from human activities. The Bahamas, home to one of the world's largest seagrass meadows, is actively exploring seagrass restoration as a key strategy for climate mitigation.
The Bahamas is recognized as a global hotspot for seagrass distribution and a significant blue carbon pool. The country is among the few that incorporate seagrass into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. This highlights the critical role of Bahamian seagrass ecosystems in climate change mitigation.
Seagrass Conservation and Restoration Initiatives in 2025
The Bahamas is preparing to launch a new seagrass meadows conservation project under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. A senior official stated that the area under consideration has a CO2 sequestration rate greater than the Amazon forest.
These initiatives align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which emphasizes the importance of restoring degraded ecosystems. The Bahamas' efforts to protect and restore its seagrass meadows demonstrate a commitment to achieving the framework's goals.
Investing in seagrass conservation can unlock benefits such as carbon storage, fisheries support, coastal erosion protection and improved water quality.