Scientists have created the first high-resolution global map of seagrass ecosystems, a major step for understanding a key natural carbon sink. The map, built with AI and satellite data, shows seagrass stores about 640 teragrams of carbon in the top 12 inches of sediment. That is roughly equal to the annual CO2 emissions from 500 million cars. The study also found global seagrass coverage declined by about 1 percent per year over the four years studied, with most losses occurring outside marine protected areas. Only 21 percent of seagrass lies inside protected zones, and nearly 80 percent of observed loss happened outside them. The map identifies where seagrass is thriving and where it is disappearing, which could help guide conservation and carbon market projects. Seagrass can recover faster than coral reefs under the right conditions, making it a practical target for restoration and blue carbon credits. The data is now available for policy and planning use.
