Calshot Marshes 22 Oct 2023 10:15
Aerial view of Calshot Marshes
Who would have thought that the local mudflats could be the subject of a photo arresting enough to hang on the wall?
From the shore the marshes are an endless taupe expanse, but whir up a drone and the intertidal zone jumps into life as sediment, sand, and algae entwine in a mosaic of greens, browns, yellows and blues. As the drone ascends to a speck in the sky, its buzz fading to nothing, seaweed, seagrass and marram grass blur then tessellate unrecognisably into a stained glass portal onto the increasingly appreciated ecology of this long overlooked coastal ecosystem.
For centuries, mudflats have been largely ignored, their ecological value underestimated. We now understand that they do more than support the local fish ecology and water quality. They are critical in capturing and storing “blue carbon”. This is tonne upon tonne of carbon from the constant cycle of life, death and decomposition that plays out in the sediment and water above. Once the carbon is trapped in this perpetual cycle, it is safely locked away from the rest of the planet where it would otherwise accelerate global warming and ocean acidification.
These ecosystems, including well-known areas such as The Everglades and Amazonian mangrove swamps, together with a worldwide myriad of smaller coastal environments like Calshot Marshes, form a truly massive carbon sink. Sadly, just as we have become aware of their importance, we have also realised that they are being lost at an alarming rate. They desperately need to be nurtured and expanded, to thrive again.
So, Calshot Marshes, our own local micro-Everglades, aren’t just unexpectedly photogenic, but also crucial for the planet and, like so many other habitats in need of protection from our destructive activities.
Photo details - DJI Mini Pro 4, Processed in Lightroom (macOS)
From the shore the marshes are an endless taupe expanse, but whir up a drone and the intertidal zone jumps into life as sediment, sand, and algae entwine in a mosaic of greens, browns, yellows and blues. As the drone ascends to a speck in the sky, its buzz fading to nothing, seaweed, seagrass and marram grass blur then tessellate unrecognisably into a stained glass portal onto the increasingly appreciated ecology of this long overlooked coastal ecosystem.
For centuries, mudflats have been largely ignored, their ecological value underestimated. We now understand that they do more than support the local fish ecology and water quality. They are critical in capturing and storing “blue carbon”. This is tonne upon tonne of carbon from the constant cycle of life, death and decomposition that plays out in the sediment and water above. Once the carbon is trapped in this perpetual cycle, it is safely locked away from the rest of the planet where it would otherwise accelerate global warming and ocean acidification.
These ecosystems, including well-known areas such as The Everglades and Amazonian mangrove swamps, together with a worldwide myriad of smaller coastal environments like Calshot Marshes, form a truly massive carbon sink. Sadly, just as we have become aware of their importance, we have also realised that they are being lost at an alarming rate. They desperately need to be nurtured and expanded, to thrive again.
So, Calshot Marshes, our own local micro-Everglades, aren’t just unexpectedly photogenic, but also crucial for the planet and, like so many other habitats in need of protection from our destructive activities.
Photo details - DJI Mini Pro 4, Processed in Lightroom (macOS)