Week 8- Blue carbon and Habitat Restoration

When was blue carbon introduced

Concept in late 2009

Lead up to COP 15

Galvanised research in marine conservation and management

What does blue carbon refer to

Carbon stored in biomass/sediments of blue forest

What are blue forests

Coastal and marine ecosystems that sequester carbon and provide ecosystems

e.g. mangroves, seagrass, saltmarshes

What coastal habitats sequester the most carbon

Salt marsges, mangroves, seagrass

What coastal habitats sequester the least carbon

Tropical forests, boreal forests, temperate forests

What is sequestration

Annual uptake of carbon into plant biomass and soils

10x more than terrestrial forests

What are ecosystem services

Benefits that humans derive from from healthy ecosystems or ‘natures contribution to people’

What are the different types of ecosystem services

Provisioning, supporting, cultural, regulating

What are the main ways coastal habitat destruction takes place

Destructive fishing practices

Direct damage

Food web changes

Climate change

What can happen from coastal habitat destruction

Can become carbon sources rather than sinks

How many mangrove ecosystems are there

In over 100 tropical/subtropical countries

What is mangrove biodiversity like

High of fish, invertebrates, re

Where are mangroves able to grow

Saltwater/brackish environments

Exposed and submerged with ebb/ flow of tide

What % of mangrove coverage has been lost between 1980 and 2000

35%

What are the leading drivers of deforestation

Shrimp culture 38%

Forest use 26%

Fish culture 14%

What are the consequences of removing mangrove ecosystems

• Nursery habitat and refuge for fish/invertebrate species

• Energy dissipation that protects coastline

• Nutrient filtration

What is the way of long-term monitoring seagrass

CARICOMP

What have CARICOMP learnt about seagrass monitoring

Decline in canopy structure/biomass

Shorter and narrower leaves

Change climax to pioneer spp

Seagrass loss

Causes of decline in seagrass

• Physical disturbance

• Turbidity

• Nutrients/eutrophication

• Wasting disease

• Sea level rise and coastal erosion

• Habitat loss

What is the estimated loss of seagrass in UK

84-92%

What is the extent of marine protected areas

70% of planet is oceam

8% is MPAs