During last autumn the first samplings aimed to get to know relevant aspects about the blue carbon accumulated in the Andalusian coastal ecosystems took place. Work has been done on tidal marshes and some of the marine seagrasses, although there is still work to be done for next fall.

Researchers from the Center for Advanced Studies in Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), which is a partner of the project, started the campaign in Marismas del Odiel Natural Park and continued in Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park.

Samplings have been carried out in order to obtain “cores” of sediment to be analyzed in the laboratory. The results obtained in these samplings will show the carbon storage capacity of each of these ecosystems and will also provide, with the detailed cartography, overall results of the stock stored in them.

In the same way, the CSIC team, which is supported by the technicians from the Sustainable Marine Environment Management Program launched by the regional government in Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía), has carried out samplings in several scuba diving sessions in different Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa meadows along the Andalusian coast. These “shallow” samplings will allow us to obtain valuable information and to programme in a more precise way the autumn 2017 campaign, in which manual and mechanical samplings will be performed, both supported by the oceanographic research vessel García del CID.

Existing literature and recent studies suggest that the results of this study will be revealing and also that Andalusia will be the first region in Spain to provide specific data on the carbon storage and carbon sequestration capacity in these ecosystems.