What comes to mind when you read the word "rewilding?"

A country overgrown with flora? Bears and wolves, casually roaming our uncultivated spaces once again? Or maybe an image of a rewilded community, partly clothed and feral?

Terrestrial ecosystem rewilding has received a lot of attention among environmental communities over the past few years due to its powerful abilities to: 

• Sequester large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere
• Reverse biodiversity loss
• Support wildlife in its adaptation to climate change 
• Provide economic opportunities among communities

... However, land-based rewilding isn’t the only form we have. 

In fact, there’s an option that arguably holds more potential for climate and environmental recovery and restoration, from a source that covers 71% of our planet’s surface: our oceans.

Sequestration Abilities 

As mentioned above, the carbon storage abilities of blue carbon far surpass the benefits of terrestrial rewilding processes. In fact, the UK’s seagrass and salt marsh beds sequestration abilities are predicted to hold a carbon storage equivalent of 1,000 - 2,000 km2 of tropical forests. 

The vast array of ecosystems - from mangrove forests and seagrass meadows, to individual species such as whales, invertebrates and seaweed - can absorb CO2 just like our rainforest ecosystems. 

Just three of the UK's three blue carbon habitats – mudflats, salt marshes, and sands – are estimated to trap somewhere between "10.5 and 60.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year", as stated by the Office for National Statistics. 

This makes terrestrial habitats’ total CO2 sequestration of 28 million tonnes per year seem second-rate.

Meeting Our Paris Agreement Targets

It’s no secret countries are lagging (way) behind on our Paris Agreement targets. Greta Thunberg’s speech at the 2021 Austrian World Summit says it all. 

However, arguably, part of this lag isn't because we don't care, but because of how our brains work. 

As seen in a Harvard Business Review article, research on construal level theory suggests humans consider things or ideas that are psychologically distant from them in an abstract manner. For instance, when climate change-induced weather disasters happen in faraway places, most people treat it as an abstract concept – which is less motivating than specific or present situations. 

However, for coastal communities, marine life and coastal degradation is a real and present threat. By helping communities rewild their aquatic ecosystems, we're not only empowering communities to take charge of their future, but to mitigate 1.83 billion tonnes of CO2 through rewilded marine ecosystems – 5% of the emissions savings we must make on a global level.

Less Conflict

While the term “rewilding” has endured its fair share of criticism from farmers fearing loss of land and income from species introductions, marine ecosystem rewilding arguably holds less of a threat to locals’ lifestyles. 

When done hand-in-hand with local communities as stakeholders, rewilding our blue carbon stores offers enormous benefits and, therefore, has the potential for projects that bring people together.

Step 1: Urge your local MPs to scale ocean rewilding for blue carbon and biodiversity

Ever written to your local MP before?

It’s insanely easy. 

Check out this site to find the MP, MSP, MS, or MLA in your area (in the UK), then click on their name to view their contact info. You can write to them, call them – however you feel you communicate best. 

If you decide to email your MP, you can save your email as a template and send it to friends and family to fill out to gain more support. 

Here are some points to bring up in your conversation:

• As outlined by the Blue Carbon Report, our governments must make at least 30% of our oceans Highly Protected Marine Areas (hpMPAs) and 10% Fully Protected Marine Protected Areas (FPMPAs) by the year 2030.
• Our governments must also provide towing-free zones to recover our marine ecosystems and recovery of fish and shellfish.
• Implementing blue carbon protection and restoration into your government’s environmental management and climate mitigation policies is key - mention this to your MP. 
• Demand investment into nature-led marine management systems (for instance, removing artificial sea defences to encourage natural processes). 

Step 3: Partake in protests that demand stopping marine environment destruction

This preventative step can help encourage government officials to step up their game whilst also spreading awareness of the issue. 

It’s likely we’ve all heard of the Extinction Rebellion (House of Commons Naked Protest, anyone?) However, their sister organisation, Ocean Rebellion, is lesser-known but equally as powerful and passionate. You can contact them here to offer support or ask about any protests in a city near you. 

Alternatively, local organisations such as Plastic Free Chesterfield may be more suited to your "bringing down the man" methods.