A first-of-its-kind study, published today in Conservation Science and Practice, has found that the forests, mangroves and marshes surrounding surf breaks store almost 90 Mt (million metric tons) of climate-stabilizing "irrecoverable carbon," making these coastal locations essential climate allies and ideal locations for conservation efforts.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Aerial Shot of Playa Del Ostional surf break in Costa Rica. Credit: Ryan Chachi Craig Just five countries account for nearly half the carbon stored: surf breaks in the U.S are the most carbon-rich, followed by Australia, Indonesia, Brazil and Panama. For the study, researchers—including scientists from Conservation International—analyzed more than 4,800 popular surf spots across 113 countries and found that immediately surrounding areas (within 1 kilometer of the waves) store over 88 Mt of irrecoverable carbon—that's roughly equivalent to the annual emissions from 77 million gas-powered cars. When the surrounding area is expanded to 3 kilometers, the amount of carbon stored in the ecosystems more than doubles to 191.7 Mt. Irrecoverable carbon refers to the carbon-rich lands humanity must protect to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Conservation International scientists coined the term in 2020 and, in 2021, mapped all irrecoverable carbon around the world. Additional research also found irrecoverable carbon areas overlap with places containing high concentrations of biodiversity. This overlap proved true for surf breaks, with nearly a quarter (17.2 Mt) of the total 88.3 Mt of irrecoverable carbon found within Key Biodiversity Areas, areas that contribute significantly to the planet's species richness and overall health. But only 3% of this 17.2 Mt—representing areas with high amounts of both carbon and biodiversity—are formally protected. Altogether, less than a third of all surf ecosystems worldwide are protected. Expanding protection of surf ecosystems could help keep climate-warming carbon from entering the…