Macreadie et al. (2025): A critical analysis of marine carbon sequestration opportunities in South Korea
Peter I. Macreadie, Finnley W. R. Ross, Carlos M. Duarte, Ji Won Hong, Ho-Sung Yoon, IN: PLOS Climate, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000591
South Korea has made significant commitments to pursuing marine carbon sequestration [including ‘blue carbon’] initiatives as part of its broader environmental and climate strategies. Specifically, the South Korean government has set a target to sequester 1,362,000 tonnes of CO₂ in the ocean by 2050 as part of its national strategy. Here, leveraging available data, the authors outline potential measures to achieve this goal, and provide critical insights into the scale and feasibility of marine carbon sequestration initiatives to inform policymakers and industry stakeholders. They investigated a wide range of potential approaches, ranging from traditional blue carbon approaches involving conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows and tidal marshes; to emerging strategies involving seaweed farming and mudflat restoration; to geoengineering interventions involving ocean alkalinity enhancement.