Abstract

Coastal ecosystems—mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrasses—exist at the intersection of land and sea. While naturally resilient, these blue carbon habitats are increasingly pushed beyond their physiological tolerances by urban conversion, agriculture, and aquaculture. This loss threatens biodiversity and the communities that rely on these ecosystems for storm protection, fisheries support, and climate mitigation. Our group’s research leverages large-scale geospatial datasets and machine learning to identify conservation and restoration opportunities. By analysing millions of satellite images via cloud-computing platforms, we have mapped the extent and change in many of these ecosystems. These maps serve as a foundation for quantifying nature’s contributions to people, such as refining global soil carbon estimates and modelling the hundreds of billions of juvenile fish supported by mangrove forests. Through global collaboration and open-access data, our work directly informs large-scale conservation interventions. By mapping where ecosystems remain and where they have been lost, we provide the evidence base necessary for decision-makers to protect and restore these critical environments.