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What is “Coastal Blue Carbon”?

What is “Coastal Blue Carbon”?. A win-win-win for habitat conservation, coastal resilience, and climate mitigation. Dr. Ariana Sutton-Grier NOAA Coastal Blue Carbon Team Lead May 21, 2014. Our Changing Carbon Cycle. Green Carbon (terrestrial biota). Black Carbon (human emissions).

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What is “Coastal Blue Carbon”?

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  1. What is “Coastal Blue Carbon”? A win-win-win for habitat conservation, coastal resilience, and climate mitigation • Dr. Ariana Sutton-Grier • NOAA Coastal Blue Carbon Team Lead • May 21, 2014

  2. Our Changing Carbon Cycle Green Carbon (terrestrial biota) Black Carbon (human emissions) Coastal Blue Carbon Coastal habitats: Salt marshes Mangroves Sea Grasses Blue Carbon (coasts and oceans) www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Research www.noaa.gov

  3. Locations of Coastal Blue Carbon • Coastal blue carbon is almost everywhere Pendleton et al. 2012

  4. Mangroves, Salt Marsh, and Seagrasses What do coastal blue carbon habitats look like?

  5. Coastal Habitats Sequester Carbon • Smaller total area, but much greater sequestration in coastal blue carbon habitats • Coastal habitats ~equivalent annual sink to forest systems McLeod et al. 2011. Frontiers in Ecology and Environment

  6. ~ Emissions produced by 214 passenger vehicles per year Coastal Habitats Store Carbon In coastal habitats, most carbon is stored in sediments and less in biomass Boreal Source: Murray, Brian, Linwood Pendleton, W. Aaron Jenkins, and Samantha Sifleet. 2011. Green Payments for Blue Carbon: Economic Incentives for Protecting Threatened Coastal Habitats. Nicholas Institute Report. NI R 11-04.

  7. Rapid Loss of Coastal Carbon Services • From 2004-2009, U.S. coastal watersheds lost wetlands at an average rate of 80,000 acres/year • Worldwide, rates of loss range from 0.7 – 7% annually • Coastal carbon emissions ~3-19% those of deforestation annually (Pendleton et al. 2012)

  8. What is the cost of blue carbon emissions? Assumes “social cost of carbon” = US$41/ton Pendleton et al. 2012 PLoSOne

  9. NOAA Policy Needs: • Identification of policies that should consider coastal carbon • Procedures for how to incorporate C services into activities Pathways for Blue Carbon Services & Conservation Top half in blue is NOT dependent on carbon markets. Improve ability to incorporate carbon services in programs and policies (e.g., mitigation projects, NEPA, UNFCCC) Science Needs: • Estimates of net C storage and sequestration • Areal extent of habitats & loss rates • Carbon dynamics of habitat disturbance and restoration GOAL: Enhanced Conservation of Coastal Habitats (e.g., salt marsh, sea grass, and mangroves) Additional resources through carbon markets for protection and restoration Market Policy Needs: • Protocols for GHG accounting • Carbon market protocols Bottom half in white is dependent on carbon markets. 10

  10. Analysis of Federal Policies • We explored: • Whether carbon services of ecosystems could be incorporated into the implementation of federal policies? • If so, where would carbon services work in implementation?

  11. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) (part of the Oil Pollution Act) Clean Water Act (CWA) mitigations (404 (d) permits) Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Endangered Species Act (ESA) Water Resources Principles and Guidelines (P&G) Analysis of carbon services in federal policies

  12. Findings • Determined: No new regulations needed • Coastal carbon could be incorporated into the implementation of all without statutory changes, but is currently not included • Incorporation of carbon services in these policies could lead to more habitat conservation seagrassgrow.org Sutton-Grier et al. 2014. Marine Policy & Pendleton & Sutton-Grier et al. 2013. Coastal Management

  13. Common Limitations • Guidance and procedures for estimating and valuing coastal carbon • Capacity and expertise needed to quantify impacts of projects on carbon storage and sequestration • Methodologies and tools for measuring and valuing carbon and expertise externally and within Federal agencies

  14. NOAA Coastal Blue Carbon Science Activities • Waquoit Bay study at the National Estuarine Research Reserve “Bringing Wetlands to Market” • Science to support including wetlands in carbon markets to incentivize investment in wetland restoration and preservation

  15. NOAA International Coastal Blue Carbon Activities • Supported the development of a UNFCCC workshop on blue carbon • Lead agency in the Commission on Environmental Cooperation grant (2013-2015) to build a North American community of practice for blue carbon • Supported the Global Environment Facility “Blue Forest” ecosystem services project and member of the project steering committee

  16. Carbon Market Opportunities Support Restore America’s Estuaries in their study of opportunities for wetland carbon in voluntary carbon markets: • Identifying steps (methodology) to make protection and restoration projects eligible for carbon trading • Developing landscape assessment of restoration potential of Snohomish estuary • Full restoration of tidal and forested wetlands in watershed would result in 4.4 million tons of CO2 equivalents being sequestered (~annual emissions from 832,000 passenger cars) • Developing and conducting regional workshops to discuss coastal blue carbon concepts and opportunities

  17. Next Steps • Investigate incorporation of coastal blue carbon into federal policies and practices that increase coastal habitat conservation • Current NEPA exploration, CEQ GHG Guidance, U.S. GHG inventory process • Explore additional opportunities to support Coastal Blue Carbon Science • E.g., Sea Grant funding, NERRS, Sentinel Sites, Sanctuaries, LCCs • Support and inform the UNFCCC negotiations process

  18. Other benefits of blue carbon habitats: Habitat

  19. Other benefits of blue carbon habitats: Recreation

  20. Other benefits of blue carbon habitats: Storm Protection U.S. coastal wetlands provide $23.2 billion storm protection benefits annually (Constanza et al., 2008)

  21. Interest in “green infrastructure” and “living shorelines” for storm protection Interest in “green infrastructure” and “living shorelines” for storm protection • “Protecting the city, before next time” New York Times, Nov. 3, 2012 • Creative ecosystem protection ideas for NY • Blue carbon habitats, A LOT MORE THAN JUST CARBON SINKS!

  22. Blue Carbon: One more reason to love the oceans and coasts! Check out the NOS recent podcast on coastal blue carbon! http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/may14/mw124-bluecarbon.html

  23. Questions?ariana.sutton-grier@noaa.gov amber.moore@noaa.govFor more information see: http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/coastalbluecarbon.html

  24. Additional Slides

  25. Additional Coastal Blue Carbon Info & Websites • NOAA NERRS project • http://wbnerrwetlandscarbon.net/ • UNEP Blue Carbon Info Pages • http://bluecarbonportal.org/ • http://bluecarbonblog.blogspot.com/ • GEF Blue Forests Project • http://www.grida.no/marine/activities/blue-carbon.aspx

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