TY - JOUR

T1 - Clarifying the role of inorganic carbon in blue carbon policy and practice

AU - Turrell, W.R.

AU - Austin, W.E.N.

AU - Philbrick, S.P.

AU - Tilbrook, C.

AU - Kennedy, H.

PY - 2023/11/1

Y1 - 2023/11/1

N2 - Since the term “blue carbon” was coined by the report of Nellerman et al. (2009) the marine carbon cycle has firmly entered the realm of marine policy alongside its terrestrial neighbour, “green carbon” (Crooks et al., 2018). Many marine policy decisions rely on accurate information concerning the stocks of blue carbon in a region, the annual sequestration rates associated with those stocks and the threats posed to those stocks by human activities, and especially recently by bottom-trawling (e.g., Sala et al., 2021). Hence policy officials are reliant on accurate blue carbon scientific advice. However, at the present moment there is one topic that is contributing confusion to policy-science understanding, and that is the topic of organic vs. inorganic carbon. The aim of this short note is to clarify the differences between these two types of blue carbon and to recommend how they are treated in policy formulation and the provision of scientific advice.

AB - Since the term “blue carbon” was coined by the report of Nellerman et al. (2009) the marine carbon cycle has firmly entered the realm of marine policy alongside its terrestrial neighbour, “green carbon” (Crooks et al., 2018). Many marine policy decisions rely on accurate information concerning the stocks of blue carbon in a region, the annual sequestration rates associated with those stocks and the threats posed to those stocks by human activities, and especially recently by bottom-trawling (e.g., Sala et al., 2021). Hence policy officials are reliant on accurate blue carbon scientific advice. However, at the present moment there is one topic that is contributing confusion to policy-science understanding, and that is the topic of organic vs. inorganic carbon. The aim of this short note is to clarify the differences between these two types of blue carbon and to recommend how they are treated in policy formulation and the provision of scientific advice.

KW - Blue carbon

KW - Climate change mitigation

KW - Policy formulation

KW - Marine protection

KW - Nature based solution

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105873

DO - 10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105873

M3 - Erthygl

VL - 157

SP - 105873

JO - Marine Policy

JF - Marine Policy

SN - 0308-597X

ER -