A new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science finds that dugongs can more than double the amount of carbon stored in seagrass meadows. The research, focused on seagrass ecosystems in Bahrain, shows that dugong grazing stimulates new growth, recycles nutrients, and alters sediment processes in ways that significantly increase long-term carbon capture. Seagrass meadows already store 10 to 18 percent of all carbon buried in ocean sediments despite covering only 0.2 percent of the seafloor. The findings are part of a broader push to include wildlife in climate policy. Over 260 scientists recently launched a Scientific Consensus on Wildlife and Climate, arguing that natural climate solutions often overlook the role animals play in keeping ecosystems healthy and carbon-rich. For carbon project developers and blue carbon investors, this means that protecting keystone species like dugongs could be a measurable part of a project's carbon benefit, not just a biodiversity co-benefit.
