Rainforest Trust - Spring 2021 Newsletter Spring 2021 | Page 18

PROTECTED

PROTECTED

LOCATION Côte d ’ Ivoire
1,754,448 Acres

STORING BLUE CARBON IN THE CÔTE D ’ IVOIRE

IVORY COAST

COST $ 610,502
STORED BLUE CO2 EQUIVALENT OF
14,001 PASSENGER VEHICLE EMISSIONS FOR 1 YEAR
In December 2020 , Rainforest Trust worked with our local partner , Conservation des Espèces Marines ( CEM ) to create the first ever Marine Protected Area in Côte d ’ Ivoire on the coast of West Africa .
Not only will this designation benefit the local wildlife , but this habitat is critical to the health of our planet because it stores “ blue carbon .” Blue carbon is stored in Earth ’ s marine and freshwater ecosystems , including mangroves , seagrass meadows and tidal marshes . The plants in these systems sequester large amounts of carbon , pulling it out of the atmosphere as CO2 , holding it in their tissues , and eventually accumulating it in underwater sediments where lack of oxygen prevents decomposition and return of the carbon to the atmosphere .
The Grand Béréby Marine Protected Area spans 640,000 acres of coastal mangrove and marine habitat and stores over 64,805 metric tons of blue carbon . This project also ensures safety for Critically Endangered Hawksbill Turtles , Critically Endangered Atlantic Humpback Dolphins , Endangered Green Turtles , Endangered Whale Sharks and Endangered Scalloped Hammerheads .
Marine ecosystems are also vital for communities . Protected areas that safeguard watersheds from source to sea , or “ ridge to reef ,” help ensure that local populations have access to clean water and food .
CEM has incorporated the natural resource needs of the local community into the management plan for the
Grand Béréby Marine Protected Area . They are educating and assisting local communities with sustainable fishery practices and , in a post-COVID-19 world , increasing eco-tourism to bolster the local economy .
“ This is an historic designation and Rainforest Trust is proud to have played a supporting role with our partner , CEM ,” said James Lewis , Rainforest Trust Vice President of Conservation . “ Protecting vital marine habitat and keeping ‘ Blue Carbon ’ stored in the Côte d ’ Ivoire MPA is critical to helping communities , species and our planet .”
Rainforest Trust is continuing work with CEM on a 1.1 million-acre expansion that will increase protection to this vulnerable coastline — stay tuned !
TOP : GUILLERMO OSSA / SHUTTERSTOCK ; BOTTOM LEFT : BRITTANY O / SHUTTERSTOCK ; BOTTOM MIDDLE : IAN SCOTT / SHUTTERSTOCK