What is Blue Carbon?
The term “blue carbon,” coined by the United Nations in 2009, is still relatively new, and it has primarily been used to gather together three key coastal ecosystems: mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere and water by these marine ecosystems, which store it as biomass in their leaves, stems, and root systems, or in the seafloor soil. These three blue carbon ecosystems are responsible for 70% of all carbon in marine sediment. According to scientific studies, they can trap two to four times more carbon than terrestrial forests, making them an important component of nature-based climate change solutions.
But did you know that there is a finite amount of carbon on the planet? However, it is continually altering and cycling between living and non-living entities, as well as being exchanged between the earth, the atmosphere, and the oceans. The carbon cycle is the name for this process. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen through photosynthesis. The carbon dioxide is transformed into organic carbon molecules, which are the building blocks of the plant’s structure. These chemicals are kept in the shoots and leaves of the plant, as well as in the roots below ground.
Plants provide the carbohydrates that animals require for energy, and other animals devour the mammals. They also take in the oxygen produced by plants and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants then soak up the carbon dioxide, and the cycle begins all over again. When a plant or animal dies, the carbon that hasn’t been eaten decomposes. It can either be re-emitted into the atmosphere or retained in the soil. Carbon is also exchanged between the atmosphere and the oceans, in addition to biological cycles.
Some plants, particularly squishy ones like tomatoes, degrade quickly and don’t hold carbon for long. This indicates that a significant amount of carbon passes through the entire cycle (from CO2 in the atmosphere to carbon in plants and animals, and back to CO2 in the atmosphere) quite quickly.
Another portion of carbon, on the other hand, is preserved for thousands of years. Partially decomposed organic waste from plants and animals that escaped being eaten is one example. These are transformed to carbon compounds such as coal or crude oil when exposed to heat and pressure in the Earth’s crust over lengthy periods of time.
People who utilize fossil fuels for energy are extracting carbon-based chemicals from the ground and burning them, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Black coal, for example, is a hydrocarbon fossil fuel that comprises carbon and hydrogen, as well as a few other elements. When carbon and hydrogen are burned, they react with oxygen in the air to produce water vapour (steam), which is used to power turbines that generate energy, and carbon dioxide, which is expelled into the atmosphere. As a result, by releasing carbon that was previously sequestered by plants, we’re adding to an excess of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, which absorbs the sun’s heat and contributes to rising temperatures.
On a similar note, carbon dioxide is a major contributor to climate change, and it is having a negative impact. The ocean and coasts are ideal for lowering greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering carbon. In fact, the terrestrial forest and ocean ecosystems have historically been the primary natural carbon sinks. Despite the fact that ocean vegetation only covers about 0.5 percent of the seafloor, it is responsible for storing more than 70% of the carbon in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide is sequestered in the underlying sediment, which is present in the dead biomass, and the below ground and underground biomass in this ecosystem. Plant deposits found beneath the water can store blue carbon for millions of years.
Organic carbon can be sequestered from the ocean if it reaches the floor of the sea and get covered by the sediment layer. The lowered oxygen levels in the already buried environment means that the bacteria which eat organic matter cannot produce carbon dioxide since they cannot decompose carbon. This means that the carbon is removed from the atmosphere completely.
Although blue carbon ecosystems are far smaller than the world’s forests, they sequester carbon much more quickly and for longer periods of time, since the carbon is absorbed and stored underwater, away from the atmosphere, where it cannot alter the atmosphere. When these ecosystems are harmed, a substantial amount of carbon is released into the atmosphere, potentially causing climate change. Blue carbon habitats come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Sea Grass Blue Carbon Ecosystems are a collection of over sixty angiosperm species that have adapted to aquatic life and can be found growing in meadows along the coasts of every continent except Antarctica. Depending on light availability and water quality, sea grass can grow up to 165 feet deep. Sea grasses are extremely prolific and can provide valuable ecosystem services such as biodiversity and habitat, sediment stabilization, and nitrogen and carbon sequestration. Despite occupying only 0.1 percent of the ocean floor, these grasses are responsible for up to 18 percent of the oceanic blue carbon burial. This ecosystem has currently stored 19.9 billion tons of carbon.
Mangrove Blue Carbon Ecosystems are forested halophytes that constitute the intertidal forest while offering a variety of important ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and coastal protection. Mangrove species have been recognized in 123 countries. These trees, like marine grasses, are responsible for around 10% of global carbon absorption. Mangroves account for roughly 3% of the world’s total tropical forest carbon sinking and about 14% of the coastal ocean carbon trapping.
From the subtropical to the arctic, the wetlands habitat can be found along the shore. The wetlands are highly productive, and their biomass can result in a deposit with a depth of over 26 feet. Because of their anaerobic-dominated breakdown and significant organic sedimentation, marshes can trap carbon in their subterranean biomass. Marshes cover around 400,000 square kilometers of land all over the world.
Because microalgae and macroalgae lack the complex lignin found in plants, the carbon they store is released into the atmosphere more quickly than carbon sequestered on land. Algae, on the other hand, are a short-term carbon storage system that is employed as a feedstock for various biogenic fuel generation processes. Microalgae could be used to produce bio-methane and carbon-neutral biodiesel. While macroalgae do not have enough oil content to be used as a biodiesel feedstock, they can be used as a feedstock for other types of biofuel production.
According to studies, coastal wetlands and mangroves can trap twice or four times more carbon than tropical forests. They can also store five times the amount of carbon as a tropical forest. The carbon sequestered is stored below rather than above ground, as it is in tropical forests.
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Although these habitats serve a useful purpose by absorbing carbon, their degradation poses a greater threat. When these ecosystems are disrupted, not only is their ability to sequester carbon eliminated, but the carbon that has already been stored is released into the sky. As a result, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rises. As a result, the coastal environment will shift from being a carbon sink to becoming a carbon emitter. However, this ecosystem is vanishing at an alarming rate.
Carbon blue is one of the most important coastal environment conservations. When this ecosystem is harmed, a significant amount of carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. As a result, maintaining the coastal ecology is an excellent approach to halt climate change and maybe reverse the damage. We protect the coastal ecosystem by preventing the release of carbon that has already been stored, which is very helpful to the population. Storm protection, recreational fishing, and a variety of shore-based leisure activities are just a few of the advantages of coastal habitat.
Blue carbon ecosystems provide a range of critical ecological functions in addition to being particularly good at sequestering carbon. They keep the shoreline from eroding. Mangroves, in particular, operate as natural buffers, lowering wave energy and preventing floods along shorelines. By holding suspended sediments in their roots, seagrasses help to decrease erosion. Tidal marshes collect sediments and contaminants in the sea, preventing them from hurting marine life. Fish rely on mangroves and seagrasses for breeding and nursery grounds. Other marine creatures get nutrients from decomposing materials in blue carbon habitats.
While blue carbon ecosystems are important carbon sinks, they can swiftly become aggressive climate change agents if they are eliminated. Cutting them down releases massive amounts of carbon from these natural sinks, which is then released into the atmosphere and seas. Despite comprising only 0.7 percent of the planet’s area, mangrove deforestation accounts for up to 10% of worldwide deforestation emissions. Each year, the loss of mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses is predicted to emit 1.02 billion tonnes of CO2, accounting for roughly 20% of global deforestation emissions.
While nature-based climate solutions for climate change on land are gaining popularity and support, blue carbon ecosystem conservation is lagging far behind. When terrestrial forestation initiatives offer cheaper, easier, and larger-scale operations, it’s difficult to make the case for safeguarding seagrasses.
Blue carbon initiatives do exist, however. They help to keep blue carbon trapped in the seabed by building local and national ability to maintain and promote coastal ecosystems. The majority of these programs are focused on mangrove, seagrass, and salt marsh restoration, but intriguing new efforts aimed at protecting other blue carbon habitats, as well as marine sediment, are being developed.
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