By undertaking activities that support healthy coastal and marine ecosystems, the Blue Forests Project has made strides in promoting a blue economy approach and helping nations improve their environmental security. Research is a key foundation of the Blue Forests Project and the field studies being conducted help support the ecosystem services activities. The Madagascar intervention installed the first mangrove Rod Surface Elevation Tables (RSETs) in Africa. RSETs are used to identify the vulnerability of the mangroves to sea level rise and to study changes in sediment elevation following mangrove deforestation for charcoal production. Other field work will soon occur in Thailand to make a comparative assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) flux from degraded seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. Research will compare degraded seagrass and mangrove ecosystems with healthy reference sites in an attempt to understand how degradation impacts rates of atmospheric GHG flux.
In Ecuador, for example, the government issues mangrove concessions as a way for local communities to access to mangrove resources. These agreements allow local associations make use of natural resources, including the consumption and merchandising of fish, mollusks, clams, cockle and crabs, in exchange for applying sustainable management practices and complying with environmental procedures. This program has been followed up with the Socio Manglar Program which seeks to enhance mangrove conservation through livelihood improvement of communities. The goal of Socio Manglar is the incorporation and strengthening of the conservation agreements of at least 100,000 ha in four years. The Blue Forests Project is providing information to enhance the both the mangrove concessions and Socio Manglar incentive through the inclusion of key ecosystem services as blue carbon and coastal protection.
In Vanga Bay, Kenya, Blue Forests is supporting the development of a new Blue Carbon offset project modelled after Mikoko Pamoja, the small-scale carbon offset facility in Kenya. Started in 2013 at Gazi Bay, Mikoko Pamoja is validated by Plan Vivo Standards to sell approximately 3000 t CO2over a crediting period of 20 years. The Blue Forests Project is working to provide evidence-based experience that will support replication, upscaling and adoption of the Blue Carbon offset projects by the international community. Population pressure, poor governance, and lack of awareness are the root causes of mangrove deforestation and degradation in the pilot area.