About us

Structure & Topics

The Maine Blue Carbon Network is open to all who are interested. The Maine Blue Carbon Network is led by a Steering Committee whose membership and leadership may change over time. The Steering Committee develops topic-based meetings/webinars to be held every three to six months. Each meeting focuses on one core topic and each is open to all Maine Blue Carbon Network members. Membership is open to all those interested in participating. These meetings provide the opportunity for invited speakers to present research or practices. Presentations will generally be followed by facilitated discussion about the topic. Smaller meetings with a sub-set of technical experts may take place on a more frequent basis and around more specific goals.

Core topics include:

  • Blue Carbon Inventories: Compiling and comparing data to inform DEP’s Blue Carbon Assessments

Per LD 593, the Maine DEP is charged with administering a salt marsh and eelgrass mapping program in support of the State’s efforts to track carbon sequestration potential through time. The Maine DEP’s Emissions Inventory Program has been given the responsibility of including Blue Carbon inventories in its annual calculations of net carbon emissions. The members of Maine Blue Carbon Network bring experience researching coastal habitats’ carbon sequestration mechanisms, how methodologies can impact these measurements, comparing existing data, and in developing greenhouse gas estimates for these habitats. The Maine Blue Carbon Network will convene meetings to discuss and compare Blue Carbon habitat best available data, sequestration calculation and inventory methods, and how these can impact the final sequestration (and emission) accounting. The Maine Blue Carbon Network plans to work with the DEP to provide critical insights into the best methods and data to use for the State’s accounting.


  • Research Advances/Opportunities: Research updates and collaboration opportunities

The Maine Blue Carbon Network was originally convened to foster collaboration among coastal carbon scientists. These meetings will allow members to provide updates about recent research results and may include or highlight advances in new research and mapping technologies, methods used, identification of research needs, and discussion of potential funding and leveraging funds. These meetings will provide a forum for discussion about research opportunities for non-restoration questions, for example, what are new advances in vegetation survey methodologies? How does blue carbon differ among vegetation types within the same habitat, or among different habitat types? How does carbon storage differ between degraded and reference sites?


  • Management and Restoration Research Opportunities: Recent advances in Blue Carbon habitat conservation and restoration

Groups external to the Maine Blue Carbon Network focus extensively on developing and executing best management practices for coastal carbon habitat conservation and restoration, and thus it is not the intent of this group to develop new mechanisms towards those ends. However, these practices may provide opportunities to advance blue carbon research; and evolving management and restoration practices may also be informed by a better understanding of blue carbon impacts. The Maine Blue Carbon Network aims to provide the opportunity for restoration and conservation practitioners to present recent advances in management and restoration practices or conservation efforts to foster communication about potential research tied to these efforts .

  • Science Translation: Translation of research to wider audience

The Maine Blue Carbon Network brings together a wide range of organizations. These meetings will provide the opportunity to discuss how recent research and/or advances in habitat mapping may be communicated to wider audiences both within and outside of members’ organizations, and how these advances help achieve goals identified in the Blue Carbon Optimization Strategy presented to the Maine Climate Council. These meetings may lead to members working together to develop outreach materials, summary/fact sheets, management recommendations, and statements of further research, conservation, or restoration need.

  • Carbon Markets : Can Blue Carbon markets be established in Maine?

Carbon markets for non-coastal habitats (specifically forest) have been operating for some time now. With the demonstrated carbon sequestration value of some coastal habitats, there is increasing interest in the potential of establishing Blue Carbon Markets. These meetings will invite speakers from within and outside of Maine that have developed research and potential mechanisms to establish Blue Carbon markets, with the aim of developing recommendations for best practices and pitfalls to avoid if Maine were to establish its own market.

The Maine Blue Carbon Network will also develop and host larger symposia for the greater coastal habitat science and management community every 1-2 years. These symposiums will provide information about recent coastal carbon research, conservation, and management through the format of presentations by selected speakers. These symposia will aim to reach people and organizations outside of Maine Blue Carbon Network membership and will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about research results and implications for habitat management.


Steering Committee

Current Steering Committee Membership: Bates College, Bigelow Laboratories, Maine Natural Areas Program, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Island Institute, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Maine Coastal Program.

Co-Leadership: Beverly Johnson, PhD (Bates College), Jeremy Gabrielson (Maine Coast Heritage Trust), Claire Enterline (Maine Coastal Program)