Canadian Kelp Forests Store Enough Carbon to Rival Established Climate Solutions
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: New research from Canada reveals kelp forests capture between 40,000 and 400,000 metric tonnes of carbon annually that reaches deep ocean storage, making them potentially valuable natural climate solutions alongside forests and wetlands.
📈 One key stat: Canadian kelp forests capture and export 40,000-400,000 metric tonnes of carbon to the deep ocean yearly, comparable to established natural climate solutions like tidal marshes and seagrasses.
💬 One key quote: “Overall, a precautionary approach is needed to ensure we don’t miss out on future kelp solutions. That’s because even as interest in kelp grows, these ecosystems are disappearing in many places.”
1️⃣ The big picture: Scientists are exploring kelp forests as potential natural climate solutions alongside forests, grasslands, and wetlands. A comprehensive national assessment of Canada’s kelp forests reveals these underwater ecosystems absorb significant amounts of carbon, with a portion reaching deep ocean storage where it stays out of the atmosphere long-term. The research team, part of Blue Carbon Canada, assembled a national database using satellite mapping, productivity measurements, and ocean current models to track kelp carbon’s journey. While kelp forests grow incredibly fast and capture substantial carbon, determining how much remains sequestered long-term has been challenging until now.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Kelp forests demonstrate impressive carbon capture abilities, with Canadian kelp storing up to 400,000 metric tonnes of carbon annually in deep ocean sinks. This carbon storage capacity rivals that of established climate solutions like tidal marshes and seagrasses, suggesting kelp deserves consideration in climate strategies. Beyond carbon benefits, these underwater ecosystems support marine biodiversity, sustain fisheries, protect shorelines, and contribute to coastal economies and livelihoods. The research provides other countries with a valuable blueprint for conducting their own kelp carbon assessments, even with limited data, helping advance global understanding of these ecosystems.
3️⃣ What’s next: Canada needs to invest in closing knowledge gaps through better kelp forest mapping, monitoring, and high-resolution oceanographic modeling. Scientists must determine how much kelp forest loss can be prevented under climate change and scale up restoration methods like green gravel. A precautionary approach must balance realistic expectations about kelp’s climate mitigation potential while protecting these valuable ecosystems.
Read the full story here: The Conversation – Can kelp forests help tackle climate change?
