Recent research highlights that coastal regions, rich in marine biodiversity, are increasingly threatened by the combined effects of climate change and human activities.

Contrary to previous studies that focused on habitats, findings reveal that even relatively untouched marine environments host species at significant risk of extinction.

This underscores the urgent need for enhanced conservation efforts to mitigate the cascading impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.

This initiative emphasizes the ecological importance of blue carbon ecosystems, which capture carbon similarly to terrestrial forests and play a crucial role in climate change mitigation.

However, the release of carbon from these marine habitats could accelerate global warming, highlighting the critical need for their protection and restoration.

The Blue Carbon Mapping Project has made significant strides by estimating the carbon stored in the UK's seabed habitats, marking the nation as the first to undertake such comprehensive mapping.

Coastal habitats, particularly saltmarshes, are recognized for their multifaceted benefits, including biodiversity support, carbon sequestration, and flood alleviation.

To achieve a sustainable future, both public and private sectors must urgently scale up investments in nature-based solutions.

Currently, investment in these solutions is critically low, with only a third of the necessary funding available to meet climate and biodiversity targets.

The Lancet Countdown has emphasized the health impacts of climate change, advocating for a global transformation to protect public health.

In the United States alone, heat-related deaths exceed 8,000 annually, with projections indicating a significant rise due to climate change.

Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are exacerbating respiratory diseases and altering the spread of infectious diseases, further stressing the need for climate action.