Combatting Global Degradation of the Blue Carbon Ecosystem

Abstract Although blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) have received widespread attention for their potential to mitigate climate change, the degradation of BCEs has not been effectively addressed, posing a direct threat to global climate goals. Here, the current degradation status of BCEs and proposed countermeasures from a global perspective were clarified. Before carrying out BCE conservation and restoration, the driving factors of degradation were identified, including climate-mediated environmental stress and direct human interference. The implementation of the BC project cannot be achieved without standardized guidance. This review constructs a full-process standardized roadmap for BCE conservation and restoration, including initial investigation and assessment, project design and planning, project implementation, and long-term evaluation and carbon verification. Further, expansion and globalization pathways were proposed to support large-scale, sustainable BC projects. This review delivers a standardized process and a technical roadmap to combat global BCE degradation and promote sustainable BC governance.