NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

^{Story contributed by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.}

A group of Traditional Owners, scientists, NGOs, government and industry representatives are on the cusp of transformative change.

Together with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, they’re co-designing a world-leading project that will unlock the Reef’s potential to mitigate climate change, help repair critical ecosystems and secure development opportunities for First Nations communities.

With billions invested annually, nature-based solutions to climate change, such as seagrass restoration, present a real and transformative opportunity for Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef. Together we’re unlocking sustainable funding that can benefit people and planet by creating a network of businesses that deliver nature-based solutions on the Reef. 

Blue carbon

The Great Barrier Reef is home to the largest seagrass ecosystem on the planet at more than 4.5 million hectares. This is an important nursery and food source for endangered species like the turtle and dugong, but it also has another critical job – mitigating climate change by storing more than 400 million tonnes of carbon.

But seagrass and the Reef’s other blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves and tidal marshes have suffered extensive loss due to land-based pollution and the increasing severity of storm events due to climate change.

This ecosystem destruction is a double-edged sword. Not only do we lose the capacity to store carbon into the future, the loss of these ecosystems also triggers the release of historic carbon deposits, further increasing emissions.

As the world grapples with how to meet urgent emissions reduction targets, we are increasingly looking to the ocean and its coastal ecosystems – which sequester carbon 30-50 times more efficiently than rainforests – for bridging solutions.

Blue carbon is recognised as an important component of the rapidly growing global carbon market, which will create sustainable financing streams to support future conservation and restoration efforts and economic development opportunities for Traditional Owner communities.

Unlocking potential
This is an exciting new space with a promising future. In 2023, Traditional Owners from Port Curtis Coral Coast Sea Country met with other project partners and shared their traditional knowledge of caring for seagrass that has been passed down through generations. This information will be woven together with Western science and modern business practices so that Traditional Owners can set up the first Indigenous-owned and run seagrass nursery on the Great Barrier Reef.

Through this work, we’ll be able to create a blueprint for a partnership model that will support Traditional Owner groups across the Great Barrier Reef to build the skills and expertise required to undertake seagrass restoration and benefit from emerging nature-repair markets.

Gidarjil Development Corporation Business Development Manager Angela Houston said, “Our Traditional Owners have been caring for this country for generations. This partnership has allowed us to build skill and experience with seagrass. Taking on the management of the seagrass nursery will fulfil our ambition to lead further restoration and care for the Port Curtis Coral Coast Sea Country.”