NZ hopes to store carbon in marine ecosystems – but some are so degraded they’re already a source of emissions

Shutterstock/Danita Delimont

For New Zealand, a country with an underwater territory 14 times its landmass, marine ecosystems present a significant opportunity to investigate carbon storage options.

Prompted by a 2023 report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, the government recognised the need to focus on the oceans in addressing climate change.