Scientists have for the first time accurately measured the amount of carbon being absorbed and emitted by seagrass, mangroves and salt marshes - collectively known as blue carbon.

The research suggests Australia's coasts are a global carbon storage hotspot that could help us fight climate change, and restoring them could create more than $16 million dollars-a-year-worth of carbon credits.

These ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems already lock away 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year -  the equivalent of taking 4 million cars off the road.

According to the study, restoring just 10 per cent of lost blue carbon ecosystems would reduce our annual land use emissions by 6-8 per cent as well as contributing to carbon credits.

Dr Oscar Serrano - a post-doctoral research fellow from the Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research at Edith Cowan University – explains the findings in the video below.