Environmental scientists say mangrove forests have a rich bank of carbon that could offer a new income stream in a carbon economy.
Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory is developing a model to measure “blue carbon”.
The university’s Andrew Campbell says blue carbon is found in sediment under mangrove trees.
“Per hectare, there is a lot more carbon under mangroves than there is under tropical rainforests,” he said.
A university research team is studying mangroves and tidal salt marshes in Darwin Harbour as a benchmark for north Australia.
Mr Campbell says indigenous communities, and fishing villages in Asian countries, could cash in on the model in international carbon markets.
The university is already assisting Indonesia, where mangroves are being logged faster than the country’s rainforests.
Mr Campbell says mangroves are also important nurseries for fish and their logging affects future fish stocks.
“We are hoping we can set up ways of making it more profitable for people to retain their mangroves than to clear them,” he said.
