what we do
Research, Science & MRV
Research, Science & MRV is the measurement and verification engine behind every Twende Green Planet restoration programme: the baseline surveys, permanent monitoring plots and carbon-stock protocols that turn planted mangroves and restored seagrass into evidence, not just activity, using the same scientific foundation that made Gazi Bay’s Mikoko Pamoja Kenya’s first internationally verified blue carbon project, and the standard we apply as we extend this evidence base across Africa’s blue carbon frontier.
Before a single seedling goes into the ground, we record what’s actually there: species composition, hydrology, degradation cause and existing carbon stock, the baseline data every credible blue carbon site needs from day one.
Support This Programme- Site hydrology and degradation-cause assessment
- Species composition and density mapping
- Permanent sample plots established before planting begins
- Baseline soil and biomass carbon reference points recorded up front
We measure what a restored site is actually storing, above ground in standing trees and below ground in mangrove and seagrass soil, using the plot-based methods established in Kenya’s own blue carbon science.
Support This Programme- Above-ground biomass measured using standard allometric methods
- Below-ground soil (sediment) carbon sampling
- Permanent 10m by 10m sample plots, monitored on a fixed seasonal schedule
- Data structured for third-party verification, not just internal reporting
Our methods are grounded in Kenya’s own research base, not built from scratch. Kenya’s blue carbon science, including the methodology behind Mikoko Pamoja, was developed by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) working with the Gazi Bay community over more than two decades.
Support This Programme- Methods grounded in KMFRI's own published mangrove and blue carbon research at Gazi Bay
- Consistent with the science behind Mikoko Pamoja, Kenya’s first internationally verified blue carbon project
- Research collaboration with Kenya’s coastal universities, including Pwani University’s environmental and earth sciences community, is a direction we are building toward, not yet formalised
- Site data and access available to credible research partners
Restoration only counts as blue carbon once someone other than us has checked it. We build every site’s records to the standard Plan Vivo, the certification body behind Mikoko Pamoja, requires: independently checked, not self-reported.
Support This Programme- Records structured for Plan Vivo-standard verification, the same body that certifies Mikoko Pamoja
- Checked by accredited Validation and Verification Bodies or Independent Experts, not internal sign-off
- Verification-ready data maintained from the first planting season, not assembled after the fact
- We do not present a site as generating verified carbon credits until independent verification has actually happened
What Research, Science & MRV Covers
From Baseline to Verified Evidence
Every restoration site moves through four connected stages of measurement:
Baseline SurveysSite conditions and existing carbon stock recorded before planting begins.
Permanent Sample PlotsFixed monitoring plots track the same ground, season after season.
Carbon Stock MeasurementAbove and below-ground biomass measured using standard methods.
Independent VerificationRecords built to a standard a third party, not just Twende, can check.
Why This Works
Grounded in Kenya's Own Blue Carbon Science
We didn’t invent a monitoring approach from scratch. Our methods draw directly on the research base behind Gazi Bay’s Mikoko Pamoja, developed over two decades by Kenya’s own scientists and proven through the world’s first verified community-led blue carbon project.
- Methods grounded in KMFRI's published mangrove and blue carbon research at Gazi Bay
- Consistent with the science behind Mikoko Pamoja, Kenya's first internationally verified blue carbon project
- Permanent sample plots and fixed monitoring schedules, not one-off surveys
- Built for independent verification from year one, not retrofitted later
Why This Works
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “MRV” actually mean?Measurement, Reporting and Verification: measuring what a restoration site is actually storing in carbon, reporting it consistently, and having an independent body confirm the numbers hold up.
Why does Twende Green Planet need its own research and science programme?Restoration only becomes credible blue carbon evidence, eligible for funder and carbon-market recognition, once it has been properly measured and verified. This programme is what makes every other programme’s numbers trustworthy.
Where do your monitoring methods come from?From Kenya’s own blue carbon research base: the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute’s (KMFRI) mangrove science at Gazi Bay, developed over two decades and proven through Mikoko Pamoja, the world’s first verified community-led blue carbon project.
What is a permanent sample plot?A fixed, marked area of a restoration site that is measured repeatedly on the same schedule, so changes in biomass and carbon storage can be tracked reliably over time rather than estimated from a single visit.
Do you verify carbon credits yourselves?No. Every site’s records are built to a standard an independent verification body can check, and verified carbon credits are claimed only once that independent verification has actually happened.
How does this connect to Mikoko Pamoja?Mikoko Pamoja, at Gazi Bay, is the proof that this approach works: Kenya’s own community-led mangrove project, using KMFRI’s research and Plan Vivo’s verification standard, to become the world’s first verified community-led blue carbon project. Our Research, Science & MRV programme applies that same rigour to every site we restore.