The Ocean Foundation

SeaGrass Grow & Blue Carbon

During the 2017 – 2018 Volvo Ocean Race, Vestas 11th Hour Racing tracked its carbon footprint, with the goal to offset what they could not avoid, with a carbon sequestration method that restores ocean health. The Ocean Foundation’s Seagrass Grow program was identified as a leader in blue carbon offsets and selected by the team and partners as the best option. Seagrass meadows provide ecosystem services that are among the most valuable and diverse on earth, including enhancing storm protection, protecting critical habitat for wildlife, improving water quality, and promoting natural coastal resilience. The site selection, Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Puerto Rico, sits in front of Salinas and Guayama, two towns that are critical to power generation and emergency infrastructure on an island still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

In addition to offsetting the team’s footprint, 11th Hour Racing will support The Ocean Foundation’s communication initiatives to grow knowledge and awareness on the availability and benefits of selecting blue carbon offsets.

Scope

• Offset Vestas 11th Hour Racing’s carbon footprint using blue carbon methods, which includes the use of seagrass, salt marsh, and mangrove restoration as a method of absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere and sequestering it in subtidal or coastal sediment.
• Twenty-five-acre seagrass restoration site to be used for the team’s offset is located in a NOAA Marine Reserve in Puerto Rico where it will also provide vital coastal habitat and storm protection.
• Advance the use of coastal restoration for carbon footprint offsetting by developing the first ‘certified’ blue carbon credits, allowing for trading on the carbon market.
• Promote individual carbon offsetting by developing communication assets and an educational package including infographics and videos highlighting the benefits of blue carbon for mass consumption.

About The Ocean Foundation

The Ocean Foundation advances innovative, customized philanthropic solutions for individual, corporate and government donors, to simplify giving so donors can focus on their chosen passion for the coasts and ocean. The organization focuses its collective expertise to generate cutting-edge content on emerging threats, potential solutions, and better strategies for implementation. The Ocean Foundation aims to evaluate and support the most effective marine conservation projects and organizations.

Header image photo credit: The Ocean Foundation