Blue Carbon Webinar

Blue Carbon - Another Reason to Love Coastal Habitats

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 12:00-1:00 PM US EST

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For remote access via webinar, please fill out the registration form a few minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin. The Meeting Number is 742656968; the Passcode is brownbag. For audio in the US and Canada, dial 866-833-7307. The participant passcode is 8986360.

http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c

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Emily Pidgeon, Conservation International and Linwood Pendleton, NOAA and Duke University

Did you know that coastal habitats such as mangroves, salt marshes, and sea grasses store significant amounts of carbon and have great potential for greenhouse gas mitigation? Dazzle your colleagues and friends with your newfound knowledge of international and U.S. efforts to better understand and protect the use of these coastal habitats for carbon storage and sequestration.

You’ll learn the answers to questions including:

• What do we know about how coastal habitats affect global carbon fluxes?
• How can “blue carbon” help protect coastal habitats?
• What are some of the hot national and international opportunities related to “blue carbon”?
• What is NOAA’s role with respect to “blue carbon”? How might blue carbon play a role in your office?

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Brief notes from webinar:

• NOAA is excited about Blue Carbon, both on the domestic and international front.

• There is a dire need for Blue Carbon pilot projects, especially where financial transactions take place. 

• There is also interest in bundling Blue Carbon with Payments for other Ecosystem Services (PES), but much work needs to be done

-Steven

Potential Bundled Blue Carbon / Sea Turtle PES Approach?

New research illustrates that the conservation of Blue Carbon ecosystems, mangrove forests and not just seagrass meadows, can aid sea turtles (see following BBC article).

Sea turtles are an iconic and well loved species. A few promising sea turtle Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) plans are being explored, examples include:

A Global Survey of Sea Turtle Payment Incentive Programs

Watamu Turtle Watch Nest Protection Programme (Kenya)

Marine Turtles, Ecosystem Services and Human Welfare in the Marine Ecosystems of the Caribbean Sea

Perhaps there is a potential for a bundled marine PES and Blue Carbon approach? Payments for ecosystems services could combine the following:

• Payments for sea turtle conservation or financing through related sustainable tourism; and

• Payments for carbon stored by mangroves and seagrasses.

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'Hidden' hawksbill turtles found

By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature, 3 September 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14735144

The findings could help explain why the species has gone undetected in the region for so long (Hawksbill turtle image by Sterling Zumbrun)

Scientists have found hawksbill turtles "hiding" in mangrove forests of the eastern Pacific.

The team, that has been tracking the turtles for three years, also found that the critically endangered animals nested in these estuaries.

The discovery of this previously unknown sea turtle habitat was published recently in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

It could explain why the species went undetected in the region for so long.

Mangrove forests, which are unique coastal tree and shrub habitats, are also under threat. They could represent an important breeding and nesting site for the species, which was thought to depend on coral reefs.

Hawksbill turtle crawling out to see with a satellite tracker on its back (Image: Alexander Gaos)

Alexander Gaos, a conservation scientist with San Diego State University and the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative, led the research.

He and his colleagues tracked hawksbills in four countries - El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Ecuador - using satellite tracking tags glued to the turtles' backs.

These trackers revealed that adult hawksbill turtles in the eastern Pacific inhabited in-shore mangrove estuaries.

"For upwards of five decades sea turtle scientists thought hawksbills had [disappeared from] the eastern Pacific Ocean", Dr Gaos told BBC Nature.

"Despite hundreds of sea turtle projects and scientists focusing efforts in the region, no one had located hawksbills.

Our findings help explain this… it's hard to spot hawksbills in mangrove estuaries."

Dr Gaos said that the turtles might be spending their entire lives in these "cryptic habitats".

"Couple that with the fact that there are very few individuals left - hawksbills in the eastern Pacific are one of the world's most endangered sea turtle populations - and it's no wonder researchers didn't know about them!"

The scientists worked with local fishermen and even illegal egg collectors, in order to find hawksbill turtles to fit their tags to.

They hope their revelations about the species' habitat will inform conservation efforts.

Why the turtles were "seeking shelter" in mangroves was not clear.

The scientists think it might be a recent adaptation brought on by a lack of their more typical habitat of coral reefs in the region.

Dr Gaos said: " We now have a better idea of where to look for them, which may help us direct research and conservation of the species, upon which their survival may ultimately depend."

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More information:

Paying Poseidon: Financing the Protection of Valuable Ecosystem Services (Forest Trends)

Payments for Ecosystem Services: Getting Started in Marine and Coastal Ecosystems (Forest Trends)

Blue carbon could be Shark Bay gold

Blue carbon could be Shark Bay gold

A researcher from the University of Western Australia says the extensive seagrass meadows underneath WA’s World-Heritage-listed Shark Bay form one of the world’s largest ‘blue carbon’ sinks.

Published: 29 August 2011

http://www.ecosmagazine.com/?paper=EC11021

Seagrass meadows at Shark Bay, WA. Researchers are investigating the value of seagrass habitats in sequestering carbon. (Image credit: Gary Kendrick/UWA)

Professor Jim Fourqurean calculates the value of the sequestered carbon at more than eight billion dollars, using the carbon price proposed by the Federal Government of $23 per tonne.

‘When you think of carbon storage and ecosystems, you generally think of canopies of trees, so a lot of attention has gone into forests,’ says Professor Fourqurean.

‘But there is as much carbon on average stored in a seagrass meadow as there is stored in a forest.

‘There are about 4000 square kilometres (400 000 hectares) of seagrasses in the bay, which places it among the largest seagrass meadows that have been recorded in the world.

Professor Fourqurean has calculated the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the seagrass meadows as being, on average, 884 tonnes CO2 equivalents per hectare.

‘So if you multiply that 884 tonnes of CO2 by 400 000 hectares of seagrass, you get about 350 million tonnes of carbon stored in the seagrass meadows underneath Shark Bay,’ he says.

Professor Fourqurean is involved in the global Blue Carbon initiative, a relatively new international scientific network aiming to preserve seagrass habitats as a climate mitigation strategy.

Blue carbon researchers are also exploring the monetary value of the carbon in seagrass meadows as part of a possible offset scheme – which could benefit developing countries, in particular, in protecting seagrass and mangrove habitat.

‘One of the reasons we're doing that is seagrasses are disappearing at a rate faster than the rate at which coral reefs are disappearing and the tropical forests are disappearing,’ says Professor Fourqurean.

‘It's not a simple policy issue to solve, because a lot of marine environments don't have a single owner.

‘The reason seagrasses are disappearing is not because of land conversion, like tropical forests; usually, seagrasses are lost because of poor watershed management practices and declining water quality near shore.’

Shark Bay's seagrass meadows are recognised as a vital habitat for dugongs and sea turtles, and as a food source for the Shark Bay prawn and scallop fisheries.

Seagrass meadows promoted as carbon sink

Seagrass meadows promoted as carbon sink

Updated August 23, 2011 13:22:13

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-23/shark-bay-seagrass-carbon-link/2851630

Jim Fourqurean dives near Shark Bay to research the extensive seagrass meadows

A new study has revealed how seagrass meadows off Western Australia's coast could help mitigate climate change.

Jim Fourqurean conducted research on the extensive seagrass meadows at Shark Bay with the aim of showing that such reserves store as much carbon dioxide as trees.

Shark Bay's seagrass reserves stretch for 400,000 hectares, making it one of the largest in the world.

Professor Fourqurean calculated that the meadows would be worth more than $8 billion if priced under the Federal Government's proposed carbon tax.

He hopes the study will encourage the Government to consider including seagrass as part of a carbon offset scheme.

Shark Bay seagrass 'potentially an $8 billion carbon sink'

Shark Bay seagrass 'potentially an $8 billion carbon sink'

Monday, 22 August 2011

http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201108223834/business-and-industry/shark-bay-seagrass-potentially-8-billion-carbon-sink

Shark Bay's extensive seagrass meadows act as a massive carbon sink which stores more than eight billion dollars' worth of carbon dioxide if valued according to the Federal Government's proposed carbon price.

That's the figure calculated by researcher Professor Jim Fourqurean who is part of a new global initiative aimed at utilising seagrass meadows to help mitigate climate change.

Professor Fourqurean has been researching the seagrasses of Shark Bay - a World Heritage area - as part of his work with The University of Western Australia's Oceans Institute, where he has been the Gledden Visiting Fellow.

"Shark Bay's seagrass meadows are a vital habitat for dugongs and sea turtles, and they provide the food for fisheries such as the Shark Bay prawn and scallop fisheries," he said.

"There are about 4,000 square kilometres (400,000 hectares) of seagrasses in the bay which places it among the largest seagrass meadows that have been recorded in the world.

"When you think of carbon storage and ecosystems, you generally think of canopies of trees, so a lot of attention has gone into forests.

"But there is as much carbon on average stored in a seagrass meadow as there is stored in a forest. It's not stored as a living biomass; it's stored as soil carbon."

Professor Fourqurean has calculated the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the seagrass meadows, as part of work involving his Oceans Institute colleagues Winthrop Professor Gary Kendrick and Emeritus Professor Di Walker who are undertaking a Caring for Our Country project funded by the Australian Government.

"My average number is 884 tonnes CO2 equivalents per hectare," he says.

"So if you multiply that 884 tonnes of CO2 by 400,000 hectares of seagrass, you get about 350 million tonnes of carbon stored in the seagrass meadows underneath Shark Bay."

The Federal Government proposes introducing a carbon tax which prices carbon at $23 per tonne, which means the seagrass carbon offset is potentially worth a considerable amount.

"So about $8.13 billion of carbon is stored in the seagrass meadows of Shark Bay - if that carbon had a price on it in the world market," he says.

Professor Fourqurean is involved in the Blue Carbon initiative, along with UWA Oceans Institute Director Professor Carlos Duarte. The initiative is a relatively new international scientific body aiming to preserve seagrass habitats as a climate mitigation strategy. Part of the work is exploring the monetary value of the carbon in seagrass meadows as part of a possible offset scheme.

"One of the reasons we're doing that is seagrasses are disappearing at a rate faster than the rate at which coral reefs are disappearing and the tropical forests are disappearing," he says.

"It's not a simple policy issue to solve, because a lot of marine environments don't have a single owner.

"And the reason seagrasses are disappearing is not because of land conversion, like tropical forests are being lost. Usually seagrasses are lost because of poor watershed management practices and declining water quality near shore.

"So trying to figure out how to capture carbon credits to pay for the maintenance and the reduction of the loss - or maybe even the creation of new seagrass meadows in order to increase the carbon storage - is conceptually difficult."

Blue Carbon Photography Contest (Announcement)

Grassroots organizations involved in coastal and marine conservation are invited to participate in UNEP/GRID-Arendal’s Blue Carbon Photography Contest. Selected photographs are intended for use in a special image-based publication for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa (COP17), and for an online image resource - the Blue Carbon Photo Library.

The theme of the contest “Life on the coasts - Blue Carbon” focuses on the importance of a healthy marine environment in coastal livelihoods.

UNEP/GRID-Arendal is looking for iconic images in two categories – People & the Environment, and Coastal & Marine Ecosystems. Examples include coastal and underwater scenes, community based restoration and conservation projects, our connection to healthy coastal ecosystems (e.g. fisheries, tourism), and how a changing ocean and climate impact the daily life of people and communities living along the coast.

As long as there is a clear affiliation with a grassroots organization, all professional and non-professional photographers worldwide are welcome to submit. Organization logos will also be highlighted in the special publication. Blue Climate Solutions has offered a digital underwater camera as a prize for the best image. Additional sponsors are welcome (click here).

INFORMATION

For Announcement and Competition Rules see:
http://www.grida.no/marine/activities/blue-carbon.aspx?id=4804
(see Photo Contest pages)

SUBMISSION

To submit your images, please see the Competition Rules and send all submissions to: photocontest@grida.no

Personal Release forms are required for all images that include recognizable subjects and children (see Competition Rules).

DEADLINE

The deadline for submitting pictures to UNEP/GRID-Arendal is SEPTEMBER 30, 2011.

Finalists will be announced in October 2011.

After reviewing the Competition Rules, you will be fully prepared to enter the contest.

Good Luck to everyone!

Blue Carbon & Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management

Just yesterday, I was fortunate enough to attend a great presentation by Tundi Agardy on coastal ecosystem based management and a new guide produced by UNEP. Definitely useful for the blue carbon concept and recommended reading! Thanks Tundi, and all the other authors, and UNEP. -Steven

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Taking steps toward marine and coastal ecosystem based management - An introductory guide by UNEP

http://www.indiawaterportal.org/node/18525

This guide by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) seeks to assist countries and communities to take steps towards making marine and coastal ecosystem-based management operational, from strategic planning to on-site implementation. An important aim of this guide is to facilitate the implementation of UNEP’s overarching Ecosystem Management Programme and new Marine and Coastal Strategy in countries and regions in line with its Medium Term Strategy 2010-13.

Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems provide many valuable services ranging from food security, resources for economic growth and recreation alongside tourism and coastline protection. They are also recognized as crucial reservoirs of biodiversity at a time when the loss of species on both land and in the sea is an increasing cause for concern.

The Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) guide outlines operational considerations in an accessible language, drawing upon practical experiences and lessons across the globe from tropical coastlines to temperate estuaries and polar ocean ecosystems. An important message is that this is an incremental process and there are different paths toward EBM. Cross boundary considerations and working with neighbours and even countries far away will be an essential component.

The target audience of the guide includes planners and decision-makers in local, national and regional governments and communities across a broad spectrum of interests and uses. The guide is not a technical manual or textbook. Rather, it is an introduction to EBM principles and applications, providing an overview of core elements and pathways to getting started.

This guide is intended to complement UNEP’s work, such as the Green Economy, providing guidance on making changes in the way we interact with ecosystems, as well as the Blue Carbon Initiative, which explores the potential for mitigating climate change by investing and re-investing in healthy coastal ecosystems that capture and store carbon.

EBM offers a valuable solution for harnessing marine and coastal ecosystems in adapting to climate change and other potential disasters and can prove to be a valuable resource in assisting coastal countries and communities to move from theory to practical ecosystem-based management of oceans and coasts.

The guide is divided into the following chapters:

Introduction

Section I. Making The Case For Marine and coastal EBM

• Why is change necessary?
• Defining EBM
• How is EBM an improvement on current management?
• EBM is science-based
• EBM can grow from existing legal and regulatory frameworks
• EBM embraces the precautionary approach
• Costs and benefits of EBM

Section II. Examining the core elements of EBM

• Core Element 1: Recognizing connections within and across ecosystems
• Core Element 2: Applying an ecosystem services perspective
• Core Element 3: Understanding and addressing cumulative impacts
• Core Element 4: Managing for multiple objectives
• Core Element 5: Embracing change, learning, and adapting EBM

Section III: Moving toward EBM

• Visioning Phase: Establish a Foundation for EBM
• Identify target geographic area and key concerns
• Build interest, expand participation, and create settings for sectors to come together
• Develop a common understanding of the ecosystem
• Take stock of existing management practices
• Set overarching goals

Planning Phase: Chart the EBM Process

• Assess the ecosystem
• Evaluate EBM governance options, and create legal frameworks to support multi-sectoral management
• Identify measurable objectives
• Prioritize threats, evaluate management options, and examine trade-offs
• Choose management strategies for EBM implementation

Implementation Phase: Apply and Adapt EBM

• Monitor, evaluate, and adapt
• Continue to communicate and educate
• Secure sustainable financing for EBM implementation over time

Concluding thoughts

Download the guide from below (size 10.07 MB):
Taking steps toward marine and coastal ecosystem based management - An introductory guide by UNEP (2011)
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See also:

http://www.unep.org/publications/contents/pub_details_search.asp?ID=6200