Blue Carbon Research in the Context of Climate Change Mitigation: A Bibliometric Analysis of Mangrove Ecosystem Studies

Abstract

Blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes, play a critical role in climate change mitigation through their capacity to sequester and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. Despite the increasing number of scientific publications in this field, a comprehensive understanding of the global research structure, thematic evolution, and emerging trends in blue carbon studies remains limited. This study aims to analyze the development of blue carbon research using a bibliometric approach based on publications indexed in the Scopus database. A total of 191 publications from 2010 to 2025 were analyzed using VOSviewer to examine keyword co-occurrence patterns and identify major research clusters. The results indicate that blue carbon research is characterized by interconnected themes, including climate change mitigation, mangrove ecosystems, ecosystem services, and nature-based solutions. The keyword “blue carbon” serves as the central node linking various research themes, indicating its role as a core concept in the field. The analysis also highlights the significant contribution of Southeast Asian countries, particularly Indonesia and the Philippines, reflecting the importance of regions with extensive mangrove ecosystems. This study provides novel insights into the intellectual structure and research dynamics of blue carbon studies by systematically mapping thematic clusters and identifying emerging research directions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of blue carbon research and offer a scientific basis for future studies and policy development related to climate change mitigation and sustainable coastal ecosystem management.