Today’s topic is something I’ve been interested in learning more about for a while now.  Many of you may be familiar with the amazing carbon sequestration potential of mature and old-growth forests, and I hope our listeners are familiar with the Coast Range Association’s groundbreaking land reform work focusing on private timberlands.

But forests aren’t the only ecosystem heroes in our fight against climate change.  Our oceans and nearshore environments hold enormous potential as well.

Blue Carbon refers to the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems.   The Nature Conservancy has just released a Blue Carbon State of the Science Report focusing on Oregon, and I am excited to be joined by one of the authors of that report, Joanna Lyle.

Joanna is a Oregon Sea Grant Fellow, working with the Nature Conservancy to explore the carbon sequestration potential of Oregon’s coastal and near shore environments.

We are also joined by Sylvia Troost from the Pew Charitable Trust.  Sylvia’s work focuses on incorporating Blue Carbon into Pew’s marine based climate action plans.

I want to encourage you to share this podcast with your friends, and leave us a rating and review on your podcast app.  I have ambitious plans for this year’s shows, and we need your help to spread the word.

I also love hearing feedback, guest ideas, or anything else!  My email is michael@coastrange.org, and our website is coastrange.org.

Links
Blue Carbon State of the Science Report: https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sites/seagrant.oregonstate.edu/files/tnc-bluecarbonsynthesis-20221017.pdf
https://www.thebluecarboninitiative.org/
https://www.oregonkelp.com/
Joanna Lyle Sea Grant Blog: https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/seagrantscholars/author/sea_lyl/
PEW Blue Carbon page –  https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/09/24/blue-carbon-a-natural-ally-in-the-fight-against-climate-change
PEW Estuary mgmt article: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2022/05/9-ways-estuaries-enhance-oregons-coastal-communities

Support the show

This is a series celebrating the 10th anniversary of Oregon’s Marine Reserve Program! A Marine Reserve is an area within coastal waters dedicated to scientific research and conservation, where all ocean development and removal of marine life is prohibited.

Think of it as a combination of an underwater State Park, a wildlife preserve, and a living laboratory!

Here in Oregon, we have five designated Marine reserves. From North to South, they are located offshore of Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Cape Perpetua, and way down South near Port Orford, Redfish Rocks.

In part one, we get a great high level overview of Oregon’s Marine Reserve System with Oregon Fish and Wildlife’s former Marine Reserve Program Leader, Cristin Don.

For parts two and three of our Marine Reserve series, we’ll be talking with our community partners from each Reserve up and down the coast. We’ll be hearing from Nadia Gardner from Cape Falcon and North Coast Land Conservancy, Duncan Berry with the Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve, Roy Anderson with Friends of Otter Rock, Katy Bear Nalven with Cape Perpetua Collaborative, and Tom Calvanese with Redfish Rocks.