On 23 June 2026, the International Mangrove Center (IMC) hosted a new session of the International Mangrove Wetland Lecture Series, inviting Professor Chen Luzhen from the College of the Environment and Ecology of Xiamen University to deliver a special lecture on “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions: Mangrove Blue Carbon Assessment and Trading”, sharing recent research findings and practical experience in the field.
Representatives from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (NFGA), the China Wetlands Association, the Urban Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality (Shenzhen Municipal Forestry Bureau), the National Blue Carbon Trading Alliance of China, the Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau, the Mangrove Conservation Foundation, and the Interim Secretariat of IMC participated in the lecture both in person and online.
Professor Chen has long been engaged in research on mangrove ecosystems, coastal wetland blue carbon and ecological restoration. During the lecture, she introduced the scientific foundations of mangrove blue carbon and presented key technologies used in monitoring and assessment, including carbon stock surveys, sediment carbon pool measurement, greenhouse gas flux monitoring, and surface elevation change monitoring.
Drawing on international standards and practical case studies of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass beds, Professor Chen shared insights into pathways for realizing blue carbon value through carbon market mechanisms and ecological restoration projects. She emphasized that future blue carbon development should better integrate scientific monitoring, standardized carbon accounting and ecosystem management. She also highlighted the importance of promoting nature-based solutions while maximizing co-benefits for climate action, biodiversity conservation, community development and sustainable development.
Photo: The lecture in session
During the discussion session, participants exchanged views on sediment sampling and carbon pool calculation, surface elevation change monitoring technologies, and the differences between methodologies for mangrove restoration and conservation projects. The lecture enhanced participants’ understanding of both the opportunities and challenges in blue carbon development, and provided a useful reference for future work on mangrove conservation and restoration, blue carbon monitoring and assessment, and project cooperation.