Del Mar
Buried in San Diego County’s lagoons are centuries worth of carbon, cached in muddy stockpiles that scientists say could help combat climate change.
Recently, scientists with the conservation organization Wildcoast and Scripps Institution of Oceanography started studying how much carbon coastal wetlands can capture, and how to restore these environments to boost that capacity.
“They are the best ecosystems on the planet for taking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in the ground for a long time,” said Matt Costa, a postdoctoral researcher with the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, as he took sediment samples from a corner of San Dieguito Lagoon on an overcast day earlier this month.
The San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority (SDRP JPA) recently announced the award of a $1,397,800 grant from the California Natural Resources Agency’s Recreational Trails and Greenways grant program, funded by Proposition 68 and passed by California voters in 2018.
The competitive grant was one of 19 awards made throughout the state to support access to new trails.
“We are extremely grateful for these grant opportunities and to our partners for supporting the Coast to Crest Trail every dollar will go toward finishing this unique regional treasure,” said Shawna Anderson, the JPA’s executive director. “It takes years of planning and collaboration to secure the needed approvals for each mile of trail and we’re excited to move forward on the Osuna segment!”