Brian Yellen Discusses Blue Carbon Policy with Biden Administration

Brian Yellen, the newly appointed Massachusetts State Geologist who has helped lead several NE CASC projects to enhance coastal resilience, was recently invited as a scientific expert for a meeting with the White House's Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Science and Technology Policy. Organized by two leaders in national coastal policy, the Pew Charitable Trusts and Restore America's Estuaries, the meeting focused on coastal policy as it relates to "blue carbon," or organic carbon stored in coastal ecosystems. 

Blue carbon ecosystems such as salt marshes store roughly 20 times more carbon per unit-area than upland forests. This density of carbon storage makes blue carbon an especially effective and valuable carbon mitigation mechanism for Massachusetts—a small state that is nevertheless home to more than half of the salt marshes in New England. 

"A research group including myself as well as NE CASC colleagues Wenxiu Teng, Jon Woodruff, and other collaborators has been developing novel methods to model spatial variability in salt marsh soils and the carbon that they store,” explained Yellen. “We are also working on tools to help resource managers make informed decisions that will help salt marshes adapt to accelerating sea level rise." 

Yellen has emerged as a leader in mapping the spatial variability of blue carbon in the Northeast’s salt marshes. During the White House meeting, he spoke about how science can support accurate estimates of total carbon stocks and ongoing sequestration of coastal blue carbon. 

“I had the opportunity to meet with key figures in the President's office who make important decisions about ocean conservation,” said Yellen. “I made the case that satellite remote sensing can improve our ability to quantify coastal carbon, but observed that we are not currently in position to scale up proven data products.” 

Conservation strategies for blue carbon ecosystems are outlined in the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, published last year. In this document, blue carbon is highlighted as a critical component prioritized by the White House. Additionally, legislation has recently been put forward to create an Interagency Working Group tasked with developing a national blue carbon map. Yellen would like to help advance this national effort by using methods developed with his collaborators. 

"It's exciting to see the value placed on these natural carbon sinks,” Yellen expressed. “With acknowledgement of their value comes much-needed resources for these habitats that are threatened by sea level rise.”