Carbon sequestration is a fancy term for the process of removing carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere. It is one of the hallmark services provided by wetlands ecosystems with them being one of the most efficient ecosystems at sequestering carbon. In fact, they store carbon at rates 10 times greater than tropical forests!

As we move into a future that will be defined by climate change, minimizing San Diego’s carbon footprint is of utmost importance. Restoring wetlands is one way in which San Diego can do so.

To estimate the carbon sequestration value we multiply the area of restored marsh and mudflats by sequestration rates pulled from studies performed at the Tijuana River Estuary and various wetlands in Mexico. We then take the annual carbon dioxide sequestered and multiply it by the social cost of carbon. We use a value of $76 per ton of carbon dioxide because it is the number used by the federal government.

The total carbon sequestered by a wetlands ecosystem is directly determined by how much habitat is present. Thus, increasing the wetlands' area will directly increase the total carbon sequestered.