St Andrews blue carbon research presented at Nordic Ocean Conference 2026

Professor Bill Austin from the University of St Andrews presented new blue carbon findings at the Nordic Ocean Conference in Copenhagen. The work comes from the Horizon Europe-funded POMP project and was published in Global Change Biology. It focuses on how marine ecosystems like seagrass and saltmarshes store carbon, and how that knowledge can inform Arctic and northern ocean policy. The presentation fed into panel discussions with policymakers, including Arctic Council representatives. Austin leads the science-policy integration work package in POMP and also heads Scotland's Blue Carbon Action Plan. The conference highlights a shift toward using scientific evidence to shape marine climate policy, especially as northern waters change rapidly. For anyone tracking nature-based solutions and carbon accounting, this is a sign that blue carbon is moving from research into actual policy frameworks.