importance for biodiversity, and also areas that are important for the continued provision of ecosystem functions and The focus of this project is to understand the character and services, and that the protection of such areas should distribution of blue carbon within the United Kingdom’s (UK) be prioritised in reaching the targets. [...] The protection and restoration of marine habitats represents a long-term l Blue carbon habitats within MPAs are estimated to hold strategy for natural carbon storage and provides additional 10.4 Mt of organic carbon and 7.6 Mt of inorganic carbon, benefits from nursery grounds for fish, to the protection of respectively accounting for 70% of the total organic carbon coastal towns and cities and es. [...] littoral MPAs, and notably the smaller marine portions of SSSIs, have the highest densities (SSSIs: 0.49 C kg/m2) and This report provides the best available estimate of the size rates of organic carbon accumulation per unit area in their of carbon stores within the top 10 cm of seabed sediments coastal muds, saltmarshes and seagrass beds (SSSIs: 45.5 in the Irish Sea and Welsh Coast Region and hi. [...] all l The most widespread threat to long-term organic primary producers), with subsequent losses and transport carbon stores is physical disturbance of the seabed to long-term stores in the seabed, are the primary (surface abrasion and subsurface penetration and mechanism for removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) by the disturbance), which arises from a range of human and marine ecosystem in the region. [...] More research and monitoring of blue carbon protection of MPAs (rather than the current feature-led habitats is generally needed to increase our knowledge of approach), and the consideration of blue carbon in marine these vital areas, the role they play in the carbon cycle and planning, would ensure that the natural carbon capture how best to protect them.
- Pages
- 5
- Published in
- United Kingdom
