Venice Lagoon Project

Val Dogà — a brackish-water lagoon valley on the northern edge of Venice’s UNESCO-listed lagoon

The Lagoon Valley Project protects, monitors, and actively restores this rare habitat, while sustaining the traditional fishing practices that have shaped it for centuries.

tonnes of CO₂ sequestered per year

Faster carbon capture than mature tropical forests

50–%

of blue carbon stored underground in the soil

This is blue carbon sequestration

A UNESCO-listed ecosystem where traditional aquaculture and natural carbon capture coexist.

Sunlight Drives Photosynthesis

Both macroalgae (visible) and phytoplankton (microscopic) fix CO₂ from the atmosphere as they grow.

Biomass Sinks to the Seabed

In winter, algae die and fall to the muddy floor. The anoxic conditions slow decomposition dramatically.

Carbon Locked in Sediment

Organic carbon is buried in the lagoon floor — removed from the atmosphere for decades or centuries. This is blue carbon sequestration.

Certified, Measured, Verified

Seasonal sediment core sampling quantifies accumulation rates. Regular monitoring ensures the sink remains active and stable.

The Val Dogà ecosystem

Macroalgae: Visible seaweeds anchored to the mudflats. Rapid-growing, high-productivity CO₂ absorbers during the warm season.

Phytoplankton: Invisible to the eye, indispensable to the system. Free-floating cells that underpin the entire food web and fix vast quantities of carbon.

Anoxic sediment: Waterlogged mud that suppresses decomposition. The vault where carbon is sealed away from the atmosphere.

Tidal exchange: The engine that renews oxygen and nutrients and keeps the entire system alive.

Frequently asked questions

What is ‘blue carbon’ and why does it matter?

Blue carbon is CO₂ captured by coastal ecosystems such as lagoons, salt marshes, and seagrasses. These habitats sequester carbon up to 10× faster than tropical forests, and lock it in waterlogged sediments for centuries.

How does extensive fish farming differ from conventional aquaculture?

No feed, no antibiotics, and no cages. Fish graze on what the lagoon naturally produces and are harvested at traditional tidal traps. Stocking density is low; ecological footprint is minimal. It’s aquaculture working with nature, not against it.

What happens if maintenance stops?

Canals silt up. Water stagnates. Oxygen crashes. The result — anoxia — kills fish, wipes out invertebrates, and causes algal biomass to rot rather than sink and sequester carbon. Historical abandoned valleys show recovery takes decades.

Why is the Venice Lagoon a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Inscribed in 1987 as ‘Venice and its Lagoon’, the designation covers both the city’s architecture and the lagoon’s ecological uniqueness — a dynamic, human-shaped coastal wetland sustaining both biodiversity and traditional culture for over a thousand years.