An international study warns that critical scientific and practical gaps are slowing the use of blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) in global efforts to tackle climate change. Led by a team of international researchers, including Professor William Austin from the University of St Andrews, the research identifies the most urgent questions that must be addressed to scale up credible, equitable and effective blue carbon conservation and restoration worldwide. The paper, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, sets out a global agenda to accelerate progress in this rapidly developing field.