Towards Incorporation of Blue Carbon in Falkland Islands Marine Spatial Planning: A Multi-Tiered Approach

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.872727
• Publication Date: 2022-06-10T06:09:50Z
• Authors: Narissa Bax; David K. A. Barnes; Santiago E. A. Pi...; Tabitha Pearman; Markus Diesing; Stefanie Carter; Rachel V. Downey; Chris D. Evans; Paul Brickle; Alastair M. M. Ba...; Alyssa M. Adler; Amy Guest; Kara K. S. Layton; Paul E. Brewin; Daniel T. I. Bayley
• Keywords: Blue carbon; Marine protected area; Marine Spatial Planning; Salt marsh; Vulnerability; Ecosystem-Based Management

Ecosystem-based conservation that includes carbon sinks, alongside a linked credit system, as part of nature-based solution to combating climate change, could help reduce greenhouse gas levels and therefore the impact their emissions. Blue habitats pathways can also facilitate biodiversity retention, aiding sustainable fisheries island economies. However, robust blue research is often limited at scale regional governance management, lacking both incentives facilitation policy-integration. The remote highly biodiverse coastal ecosystems surrounding continental shelf be used better inform long-term ecosystem-based management in vast South Atlantic Ocean sub-Antarctic, synergistically protect unique on magnitude benefits they provide. Understanding key ecosystem information such location, extent, condition habitat types, will critical understanding sequestration, threats this, vulnerability. This paper considers current status data available, what still required before tool integrated national Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiatives. Our indicates gathered has enabled baselines for number different ecosystems, indicated potential vulnerability need managed. significant knowledge gaps remain across habitats, salt marsh, mudflats mesophotic zones, which hinders meaningful progress ground where it needed most.