Studies Aimed at Expanding CO₂ Sequestration by Seagrass and Seaweed

The Paris Agreement, adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Paris in 2015, explicitly states the assessment and utilization of nature-based carbon sinks to reduce greenhouse gases. It sets a long-term goal of maintaining greenhouse gas emissions within the absorption capacity of ecosystems by the latter half of the 21st century. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has been advancing research on “green carbon,” which involves CO₂ absorption by forest ecosystems and agricultural soils, accumulating extensive knowledge and technology. At the BX-GX International Education and Research Hub, leveraging the insights and techniques developed through terrestrial plant research on vegetables and rice, we are collaborating with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) to promote various studies on CO₂ fixation by seagrass and seaweed, which represent significant “blue carbon” sources.