Marlow Pellatt spent time on Vancouver Island, taking samples of soil from deep underground and wading through water to understand the biodiversity in the area. To an onlooker, it may seem like he’s playing in mud, but he’s actually researching how important coastal ecosystems are in Canada’s fight against climate change. Pellatt, a coastal ecologist with Parks Canada, led a team that was part of an international effort to study and preserve coastal systems this year. The joint initiative involves Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to study "blue carbon" -- the carbon stored in marine ecosystems.