This 18-month project, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, focused on understanding the seagrass species composition and their potential for carbon storage within the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve (VNR), located in Northwestern Sri Lanka. The project’s goal was to map seagrass distribution and assess the role of these ecosystems in carbon sequestration, supporting the establishment of Sri Lanka’s first blue carbon credit project.

Co-funded by the Blue Marine Foundation, the project comes at a critical time, with Sri Lanka exploring conservation strategies such as Debt-For-Nature Swaps, which link debt reduction to environmental protection. The data from this project will support the development of these policies, helping the country transition toward a blue-green economy.

Key results:

• Seagrass Mapping: The project successfully identified and mapped the distribution of three key species—Enhalus acoroides, Oceana serrulata, and Halophila minor—across the reserve. This detailed mapping provides a foundation for future research and conservation strategies.
• Herbarium Collection: Samples of the mapped seagrass species were prepared and submitted to the National Herbarium to support ongoing research and conservation efforts.
• Carbon Stock Assessment: Probably the most exciting aspect of this project, it analysed both above-ground and below-ground organic carbon storage within the seagrass meadows. While specific numbers remain confidential, the findings confirm that VNR is an important blue carbon reservoir that can support Sri Lanka’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) under the Paris Agreement.

The project highlights the ecological and conservation importance of the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve. The results also contribute to global research on seagrass ecosystems and their role in carbon storage, positioning VNR as a significant blue carbon reservoir in the Indian Ocean region. The data generated not only lays the groundwork for future blue carbon initiatives in Sri Lanka, but serves as a powerful tool to advocate for the long-term conservation of VNR, ensuring its role in protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

We expect the academic manuscript to be published within the course of the next few months and hope to develop a series of collaborative posts surrounding the results of this study with our community.

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