A new narrative for the blue economy and blue carbon

The terms Blue Economy and Blue Carbon are, it seems, popping up everywhere, but what do they mean, and are they linked? They are usually considered separately in discussions about policy and action, which has resulted in confusion about the relationship between the two concepts. Here we clarify the terminology and intent of both Blue Economy and Blue Carbon and present a narrative to propose that Blue Carbon should be considered an intrinsic part of the Blue Economy, a theme that will carry through this special issue of the Journal of Indian Ocean Research.