The underwater ‘Amazon’ off Australia’s coast that could help tackle climate change

Groundbreaking research released last week has found that the climate benefits of healthy seaweed forests have been “grossly underestimated”.

By area, seaweed forests are able to capture and store as much atmospheric carbon as tropical rainforests.

Globally, seaweed forests cover an area twice the size of India and are taking up the same magnitude of carbon as the Amazon rainforest.

The study – from the University of Western Australia and Conservation International – detailed how protection and restoration of these underwater forests could allow for the capture of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

That’s about the equivalent sequestration capacity of planting a BILLION trees.

And one of the most important seaweed forests is right here in Australia 🇦🇺. The Great Southern Reef runs along the southern half of Australia’s coastline, spanning 8,000 km.