Acceptance speech by Carlos Duarte, winner of the 2020 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology, who was honored alongside Terence Hughes and Daniel Pauly for their contributions to understanding and conserving marine ecosystems. His research established the scientific foundations of the concept of blue carbon, which recognizes the ability of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass meadows to capture and store carbon, and their potential to help mitigate climate change through the recovery of marine biodiversity.
Duarte reflects on the connection between the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, arguing that both must be addressed through nature-based solutions. Challenging environmental pessimism, he advocates action as a response to despair and highlights the possibility of substantially restoring the abundance of marine life by 2050. He also argues
Acceptance speech by Carlos Duarte, winner of the 2020 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology, who was honored alongside Terence Hughes and Daniel Pauly for their contributions to understanding and conserving marine ecosystems. His research established the scientific foundations of the concept of blue carbon, which recognizes the ability of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass meadows to capture and store carbon, and their potential to help mitigate climate change through the recovery of marine biodiversity.
Duarte reflects on the connection between the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, arguing that both must be addressed through nature-based solutions. Challenging environmental pessimism, he advocates action as a response to despair and highlights the possibility of substantially restoring the abundance of marine life by 2050. He also argues that scientific research must be translated into concrete initiatives involving public institutions, businesses and entrepreneurs, placing the restoration of the planet at the heart of economic activity and technological development.
