Building Blue Carbon Projects - An Introductory Guide

The team found the carbon contents of the ecosystems to be significant on a local scale, while on the lower end when compared to non-arid regions of the world. Seagrass is by far the most extensive Blue Carbon ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, and it is also important as a habitat for dugong and sea turtle populations. Overall, ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration and storage, such as shoreline stabilization, support to fisheries, direct recreational use, and water quality maintenance were found to provide a larger share to overall value. Figure 9 illustrates the relation of project components.

Figure 9 The relation of components of the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project.

Two ecosystems were studied that are special to the local environment. Coastal sabkha is a coastal salt flat ecosystem. It can be flooded several times per year when exceptionally strong shamal winds drive seawater inland. Coastal sabkha is largely devoid of vascular vegetation because of hypersalinity and long periods of dry conditions, and does not sequester carbon. However, it can serve as a cap to carbon deposited earlier by other ecosystems, and it is therefore considered an

Building Blue Carbon Projects An Introductory Guide

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