Building Blue Carbon Projects - An Introductory Guide

Coral reefs can be intrinsically connected and related to Blue Carbon habitats and should be considered when developing Blue Carbon projects. The reef, seagrasses and mangroves pictured from above are located off Ambergris Caye, Belize (image credit Jason Valdez/Marine Photobank).

A Ridge to Reef Approach for Blue Carbon

Coral reefs are an associated Blue Carbon ecosystem even if they may not be a Blue Carbon sink. Given the important ecological and ecosystem service connections and linkages between these habitats, mangroves and seagrasses can be regarded as vital parts of greater coral reef ecosystems. The health, abundance, and diversity of the organisms that make a coral reef ecosystem are directly linked to the surrounding terrestrial and marine environments. The complex root systems of mangroves help stabilize the shore lines, while filtering runoff and nutrients, protecting coral reefs from land-based pollution. Their submerged roots and detritus provide nursery, breeding, and feeding grounds for many animals found on coral reefs. Mangroves have been found to strongly influence the community structure of fish on neighbouring coral reefs, including a more than doubling of biomass for several commercially and recreationally valuable species when their life cycle habitat is connected to mangroves (Mumby et al ., 2004). Seagrass meadows often form in lagoon areas between mangrove habitats and coral reefs. They serve as the foundation of many marine food webs and also provide food and shelter for coral reef associated species. Additionally,

Building Blue Carbon Projects An Introductory Guide

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