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Brian Yellen Discusses Blue Carbon Policy with Biden Administration

November 5, 2024 Careers

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Brian Yellen on a bike in front of the White House
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Brian Yellen outside of the White House Conference Center
Brian Yellen outside of the White House Conference Center

Brian Yellen, newly appointed Massachusetts state geologist and former research professor in the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences, 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. The meeting was organized by two leaders in national coastal policy, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the advocacy organization Restore America's Estuaries. 

The October 10 meeting focused on coastal policy as it relates to "blue carbon," which refers to 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 carbon mitigation strategy for Massachusetts—a small state that is nevertheless home to more than half of the salt marshes in New England. 

"With UMass colleagues Qian Yu, Wenxiu Teng, Jon Woodruff, and others, we have 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 managers make informed decisions to help salt marshes adapt to accelerating sea level rise." 

Yellen has become a leader in mapping the spatial variability of blue carbon in the Northeast’s salt marshes. During this 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 that we need funding to scale up proven data products.” 

Conservation strategies for blue carbon ecosystems and funding goals are outlined in the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, published last year. In this plan, blue carbon is highlighted as a critical component prioritized by the White House. In the week following the meeting, legislation was put forward to create an Interagency Working Group tasked with developing a national blue carbon map. Yellen is advocating for methods developed at UMass to be used for this forthcoming national effort. 

"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.”

Article posted in Careers for Public

Related programs

  • Earth Systems

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  • Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences

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