This project was part
of a collaboration formed
through the CSIRO
Marine and Coastal Carbon
Biogeochemistry Cluster
project and included
a team of 44 researchers
from 33 research institutions
from around the world.
Quotes below
are from the paper:
"Australian vegetated
coastal ecosystems
as global hotspots for
climate change mitigation",
recently published in
Nature Communications
SUMMARY:
Australia is
a world leader
in "blue carbon",
also known as
vegetated coastal
ecosystems.
These ecosystems
absorb carbon dioxide
at rates up to
40 times faster
than terrestrial forests,
mainly due to their
enormous capacity
to store carbon in soils.
"Globally, vegetated
coastal ecosystems
are being lost
twice as fast as
tropical rain forests
despite covering
a fraction of the area."
"When these ecosystems
are damaged by storms,
heat waves, dredging
or other
human development,
the carbon dioxide
stored in their biomass
and soils beneath them
can make its way back
into the environment,
contributing to
climate change."
"These ecosystems
are also important
as habitats
and nurseries
for fish and
other marine life,
helping prevent
coastal erosion and
improving water clarity."
In Australia there are
up to four times more
carbon sequestered
in soil beneath
marine ecosystems
over a given area,
than in terrestrial
environments.
Restoring just
10% of blue carbon
ecosystems that were
lost in Australia since
European settlement,
could generate more than
$US 11 million per year
in carbon credits.
Conserving
blue carbon
ecosystems
under threat
could be worth
$US 22-31 million
per year in
carbon credits.
DETAILS:
Dr Serrano said
new research
positioned Australia
as a world leader
in the protection
and management
of blue carbon
ecosystems.
"Australia is home
to around 10%
of the world's blue
carbon ecosystems,
so there's enormous
potential for us
to take a lead role
in this space,"
he said.
To quantify Australia's
blue carbon stocks,
the research divided
Australia into five
different climate zones.
That's because
ecosystems in a
tropical climate,
like North Queensland
store carbon dioxide
at a different rate
to those in temperate
climates such as in
South West WA and
South Eastern Australia.
The researchers
created estimates
for carbon dioxide
stored in
the vegetation
above ground,
and soils below,
for each
climate area.
They measured
the size and
distribution of
vegetation
and took soil
core samples
to create the
most accurate
measurements
possible of
sequestered
"blue carbon".