Distribution of coastal blue carbon habitats in Sweden and their exposure to anthropogenic pressure

TL;DR

This study maps blue carbon habitats along the Swedish coast and assesses their exposure to human activities to guide conservation efforts.

Contribution

A nationwide assessment of coastal blue carbon habitats in Sweden, including their distribution and anthropogenic exposure.

Findings

Coastal blue carbon habitats cover around 1850 km², or 35% of the Swedish coast.

22% of these habitats are exposed to high anthropogenic pressures due to their location.

Protected areas tend to have less exposed blue carbon habitats.

Abstract

Understanding where blue carbon habitats occur and how they are affected by human activity contributes to effective management of natural carbon sinks. Here, we compiled geographical data for Sweden to map the distribution of coastal vegetated blue carbon (BC) habitats. The mapping effort focused on well-recognised (salt marshes and seagrass meadows) and emergent BC habitats (other rooted submerged macrophytes and forested wetlands). We also estimated the exposure to anthropogenic pressures on coastal BC habitats based on their proximity to land-based human activities, and subsequently, the portion of these BC habitats that were located within protected areas. The total area of BC habitats was estimated to around 1850 km2, corresponding to ca. 35% of the Swedish coast. Seagrass meadows and other rooted submerged macrophytes were dominating, covering about 1500 km2. Around 22% of the mapped BC habitats were expected to be exposed to high pressures from land-based human activities due to their location, while BC habitats within protected areas were often less exposed. This nationwide assessment of coastal vegetated BC habitats accentuates the need for strengthening conservation prioritisation to maximise the carbon storage potential of BC habitats.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-025-02290-x.

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