By Mikaela Gomez
When we talk about climate solutions and biodiversity protection, attention often stops at the coastline, with most focus placed on shallow and coastal waters. The deep ocean, and the powerful processes it drives, are largely out of sight and out of mind. Yet far below the surface, a natural mechanism called the Biological Carbon Pump (BCP) plays a crucial role in stabilising our planet’s climate. This process moves carbon from the surface ocean to the deep sea, locking it away for centuries and helping to regulate atmospheric CO₂ levels. It is one of Earth’s most effective long-term carbon sinks and a key part of the ocean’s climate engine.
Despite its vital role, the BCP is almost entirely absent from international policy frameworks. It is not explicitly mentioned in climate mitigation treaties or biodiversity conservation agreements, and there are no binding targets or valuation mechanisms to support its protection. Without proper recognition, this essential ecosystem service is at risk of degradation and mismanagement, especially as human pressures on the ocean intensify.
As part of the OceanICU project, I’ve been working with both policy and science experts to explore how we can bring the BCP into view. What’s become clear is that one of the biggest obstacles is that most decision-makers just don’t know about it. That’s why ocean literacy, especially at the policy level, is such an important starting point. The earlier we can build understanding and political will, the better the chances that the BCP will have to be considered in future agreements, and included in policies and management practices in ways that reflect the science. By making complex science more accessible and showing how the BCP links to broader priorities like climate and blue carbon, we can help shift attention and resources toward its protection.
Education plays a vital role in that process. Policymakers who understand the BCP are not only more likely to support it but can become advocates for it. Champions inside the room can keep the issue on the table over time, pushing for its inclusion in negotiations and ensuring it isn’t forgotten. But education alone isn’t enough. We also need collaboration across sectors and disciplines. That means bringing together researchers, NGOs, industry representatives and policymakers to work toward shared goals. By doing so, we can build the kind of institutional memory and long-term commitment needed to make real policy change.
While economics isn’t the whole story, it’s another important tool. Blue carbon is already gaining ground as a way to integrate ocean-based climate solutions into policy. Linking the BCP to blue carbon efforts can help explain its value in practical terms, especially to governments and negotiators looking for measurable, cost-effective climate strategies. Tools like sequestration metrics and cost-benefit analyses might help to make it easier to argue for the BCP’s inclusion, particularly for countries working to incorporate natural capital into their planning and negotiations.
But none of this can happen in isolation. If the BCP is going to be recognised and protected, we need to move beyond sectoral silos. This means taking an umbrella approach that cuts across climate, biodiversity, ocean, and fisheries policies, ensuring that natural and social scientists, industry voices, NGOs and governments are all part of the conversation. Only through this kind of inclusive, systems-based thinking can we make sure the BCP is embedded where it matters: across multiple agreements, not just one.
Challenges remain: fragmented governance, limited data, and competing priorities. But there is real momentum. As countries move toward ratifying and implementing the BBNJ Agreement, they are beginning to develop national and regional plans that will define how marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction is protected. This implementation phase presents a crucial window to embed recognition of the Biological Carbon Pump into monitoring frameworks, capacity building, and area-based management tools. The 2025 UN Ocean Conference reinforced this direction, with strong calls to strengthen deep-sea protection, improve data sharing, and ensure that ocean-climate linkages are fully accounted for in global agreements.
The Biological Carbon Pump has quietly helped regulate our climate for millennia. It is time we brought it into the spotlight. By raising awareness, valuing its contribution, and working together across disciplines and sectors, we can ensure the BCP is no longer overlooked but becomes a core part of our global response to climate change and biodiversity loss.
Mikaela Gomez
Mikaela holds a B.Sc in Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science and a M.Sc in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation from Lund University and is currently working with OceanICU partner, World Maritime University.
Her role in OceanICU is to identify gaps, synergies and opportunities among current policies relating to the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus as part of the work being conducted in Work Package 8: Connecting OceanICU to Society.
