INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
seagrass was seagrass ’ s ability to contribute towards offsetting CO 2 emissions on a large scale , in addition to its ability to provide shoreline protection , improve water quality and as a habitat for fish populations .
Shell-shocked at my ignorance , I began searching for journal papers and other general information I could trawl off the Internet only to find that seagrass knowledge has close links with mangrove-related materials . Further reading unravelled more details on linkages with other nature-based solutions and the different carbon offset schemes available and supported by individuals and corporates worldwide . While the author does not claim to be an expert in seagrass , the author feels that it could be quite a shame should others like him be not made aware of seagrass and its possibility as an alternative nature-based solution in mankind ’ s climate change mitigation possibilities .
Q1 : Are carbon offsets from seagrass projects worth the effort and time ? Carbon sequestered in coastal ecosystems is commonly referred to as Blue Carbon . In a paper published by Stankovic et al 2021 , seagrass was reported to be able to store carbon for centuries and seagrass meadows contribute to 10-18 % of the total ocean oceanic carbon burial despite covering less than 0.1 % of the total ocean floor . These staggering performance figures aroused the author ’ s interest to consider them as an earthshattering carbon offset programme . But would seagrass projects suffer the same fate as forestry credits which have received widespread criticism recently for overstating their CO 2 reduction abilities ?
Q2 : Are blue carbon offsets worth their pound of flesh ? We often hear about tree planting and other forestry-related carbon projects promoted as carbon sinks ; however as timber is a commonly used commodity in economic development , it does not seem directly plausible for large-scale projects to be economically attractive , given the economic opportunity cost of avoiding cutting a tree down . For carbon to be captured and stored , the tree would need to be permanently maintained and never removed . Forestry projects could suffer from an economic versus environmental dichotomy ; could the same be said of seagrass projects ?
Detractors of Blue Carbon argue that uncertainties in the measurement of carbon flows in coastal systems are much higher than the uncertainties in emissions in other sectors . Changes in coastal systems , permanence and leakage make it difficult to conduct measurement and verification activities .
Q3 : Can we agree on the environmental and social benefits of seagrass ? Isn ’ t it sufficient for parties who trade on a “ willing buyer , willing seller ” to arrive at a fair compensation for the maintenance and protection of such coastal ecosystems without further scrutiny and criticism ? Is seagrass a commodity ? If not why be pedantically strict about the measurement and verification of its carbon potential ? Why should this be subject to an exact science given that the general consensus is that having / conserving such coastal ecosystem is good for the world ? If international negotiations since the Kyoto Protocol have yet to produce a vibrant carbon market , why should extraneous attention be given to the measurement and verification of the potential of seagrass ?
Q4 : Could there be consequences if we do not decouple the tangible economic benefits of seagrass from a need for action ? There seems to be a lack of consensus on the idea that for the world to sustain further CO 2 growth , greater CO 2 mitigation and adaptation activities need to be put in place . No economy can bear the brunt of slower growth let alone zero growth . Germany ’ s energy dilemma is one such conundrum which leaves many to wonder if a silver bullet exists for the climate challenges that humanity is currently facing . The paper by Stankovic et al 2021 predicted that at the current loss rate , all meadows will disappear by 2060 . Is current literature sufficient to compel immediate action to preserve seagrass meadows ? Are the economic benefits sufficiently large to drive these activities ? It is difficult to generate economic incentives for the conservation of coastal ecosystems such as seagrass because many of the improvements in water quality , and increased habitat for marine life do not have a market price .
46 VOL 97 JANUARY - MARCH 2024