Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and meth­ane are potent greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. While it is well known that forests store large amounts of carbon from greenhouse gases, research indicates that coastal wetlands might capture and store carbon at rates three to five times greater than forests. Research also suggests that nitrogen pollution from septic systems, stormwater runoff, and airborne pollution can significantly com­promise a wetland’s ability to store carbon. In extreme cases, wetlands may even become sources of greenhouse gas and contribute to climate change.

Bringing wetlands into carbon markets requires better understanding of the flux of carbon and greenhouse gas in coastal wetlands and the influence of nitrogen on that flux. If data from the three-year study bears this out, it will strengthen incentives for reducing the amount of nitrogen pollution flowing into coastal wetlands by creating market-based incentives for restoration.