Programme Cooperation Agreement 2014: Final Report for the Period 01 January 2014 to 01 March 2015

November saw the launch of an innovative concept report entitled Fish Carbon: An Exploration of Marine Vertebrate Carbon Services 42 which explores natural mechanisms of carbon cycling for all marine vertebrates in all marine ecosystems, from shallow coasts to ocean depths. The report was released at the Blue Forests Project Inception Workshop in November 2014 (see 5G below) and has been hosted on the GEF International Waters website. As with the Blue Carbon Projects report, an invited webinar on the subject matter was presented by GRID-Arendal in November, through the EBM Tools Network and OpenChannels Forum. The Blue Carbon Portal 43 continues to be updated consistently and serves as a home for the blue carbon publications, presentations and other materials.

SIGNIFICANT OUTCOME

MC

Linking fish to climate change

Extract from the Preface of Fish Carbon: Exploring Marine Vertebrate Carbon Services provided by Dr. Sylvia Earle , Founder of Mission Blue and a former Chief Scientist of NOA: “‘Fish Carbon: Exploring Marine Vertebrate Carbon Services’ highlights the direct relevance of marine vertebrates to climate change mitigation and presents an opportunity to secure this service … through the protection and conservation of marine vertebrates. Acknowledging the importance of marine life in climate change will not only provide much needed opportunities for climate mitigation, but will simultaneously enhance food security for coastal and island communities, while safeguarding biodiversity and marine ecosystems on a global scale, particularly in the unprotected high seas.”

42. http://www.grida.no/publications/fish-carbon. See also http://www. grida.no/news/default/6221.aspx

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