Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Underwater image of seabed.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop from Pexels / https://www.pexels.com/photo/underwater-photography-of-ocean-2397651/
ISSUE

Blue Economy

To expand the ocean economy to create jobs and economic growth while achieving global targets set for ocean health, ocean policy should account for the value of the services dependent on marine ecosystems. The Nicholas Institute's Ocean and Coastal Policy Program supports decision makers in exploring policies that better align ocean economic growth and health and identifying and securing financing for conservation of coastal habitats that sequester so-called blue carbon.

Projects

Nicholas Institute project banner

Blue Economy Assessments

The Institute works with partners such as the Center for the Blue Economy to support governments to develop integrated ocean management policies, based on measurement of the ocean economy and ecosystem services, and blue economy concepts and scenarios. 

Oceans at Duke banner image credit Frédéric Ducarme

Oceans@Duke

Oceans@Duke is a multidisciplinary community of Duke’s scholars working on challenges to sustainable use of the oceans. Across the Nicholas School of the Environment, to the Fuqua Business School, to Duke Law School, to Sanford School of Public Policy, to the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Duke brings expertise to oceans in science, policy and business.

Mangrove trees on the coast.

Coastal Blue Carbon

Research at the Nicholas Institute examines the economic and scientific challenges that need to be addressed in order to determine whether payments for storing coastal blue carbon may one day help conserve mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes, and keep them from being converted to other uses and releasing their stores of greenhouse gas.