Global Declines in Mangrove Area and Carbon‐Stock From 1985 to 2020

Abstract Mangroves are one of Earth's “blue lungs” due to their exceptional carbon‐storage capabilities amidst rapidly increasing carbon dioxide. Despite providing numerous ecological services, their global distribution and carbon‐storage capacities have severely declined over the past 35 years (1985–2020). Here, we quantify spatio‐temporal changes in global and national carbon‐stocks that include this period. We found that global mangrove area decreased from 17.35 million‐hectares in 1985 (carbon‐storage of 6.84 Pg) to 13.61 million‐hectares in 2020 (carbon‐storage of 5.72 Pg). Significant losses occurred in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, with a global reduction of 21.6% in area and 16.5% in carbon‐stocks. Potential maximum loss of accumulated carbon‐storage in mangroves was equivalent to 4.13 Pg of CO 2 , accounting for 0.4% of the global cumulative fossil CO 2 emissions (1,009 Pg) during 1985–2020. This study provides more comprehensive and accurate statistics, maps, and insights on estimating and reducing mangrove carbon emissions to support global and national protection policies.