Abstract Detail

Physiology

Thorhaug, Anitra [1], Gallgaher, Barry [2], Chew, Gwendolyn [3], Schwarz, Arthur [4], Kiswara , Wawan [5], Prathep, Anchana [6].

Blue and Black Carbon of Mangroves and Seagrass in Southeast Asia.

Despite mangroves (151,000 km2 globally) and seagrasses (171,000 km2 globally) being a small portion of global vegetation, their ability to organic carbon concentration capability is very high, minimally 3-5 times higher than tropical forests. Both are decimated drastically by intense anthropogenic activity in Southeast Asia. We compare them to carbon prices on the carbon market, and restoration opportunities. We have carried out a meta-analysis of the chief Southeast Asian blue carbon habitats from integrating extents and in situ measurements merged into national averages throughout the tropical/subtropical portion of Southeast Asia (Myanmar to Papua New Guinea, upper Gulf of Tonkin to Indonesia). These large sedimentary organic carbon values demonstrate that this areas’ estuaries and shelves and are a hotspot of Blue Carbon Sequestration. Extents of blue carbon habitat are mangroves (5.1 Million ha) and seagrasses (5.5 million ha). Amounts sequestered are total 4500Tg C with 3095.19 TgC for mangroves from mangroves and to 1683.186 TgC for seagrass. Additionally, there is substantial Black Carbon found in the sediment, which needs to be separated from the Blue carbon. The Black Carbon is added by fire and incomplete vehicular combustion processes in Asia. A more conceptually correct carbon measure requires allochthonous recalcitrant organic forms, such as black carbon (BC) to be subtracted from total estimates for a true mitigation service (Chew and Gallagher, 2018; Gallagher et al, 2019). Black carbon is produced by the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, a large carbon vector to the Southeast Asian marine environment as a source of depositional carbon and eutrophication (Ni et al, 2014; Gaveau et al, 2013; Sundarambal et al, 2014). We therefore caution the results of this study and others in that that this concept may ultimately confound mitigation services should the gradient across the region be counter to stock densities and extents. The four examples of net carbon from mostly Indian ocean and S. China Sea mangrove large scale projects shows that the net carbon is 4478.37.16 Tg C in 1^st meter. In projects which are registered or in process for net carbon there are Gazi Bay, Kenya, Ambanja/Ambaro Bays, Madagascar,(26,000ha), Me-kong Delta Viet-nam (1715ha), and Sundarbans, India/Bangladesh (6000ha).. Carbon was valued at $6.50 -$10USD per tonne. Most evaluated carbon credits via VSR , VER, or REDD. The SE Asian Blue Carbon is very valuable to preserved. . The restored carbon could be influential in altering Climate change temperatures downward.

1 - Yale University, 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, FL, 33145.0, United States
2 - Universiti of Malaysia Sabah, Borneo Marine Research Institute, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, 88400, Malaysia
3 - 2617 Kentucky Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21213, USA
4 - Southwestern Adventist University, Biological Sciences, 100 W Hillcrest, Keene, TX, 76059, United States
5 - Indonesian Institute of Sciences Jakarta, Indonesia and Indonesian Seag, Research Centre for Oceanography, Jl. Amonia F – 10 , Beji Timur , Depok, 16422, Indonesia
6 - Prince of Songkla University, Seaweed and Seagrass Research Unit, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand

Keywords:
Blue carbon seagrass
Blue carbon Mangroves
Southeast Asian seagrass carbon
Southeast Asian Mangrove carbon
Carbon hotspot.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: PHYS2, Physiology II
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2020
Time: 3:00 PM
Number: PHYS2001
Abstract ID:76
Candidate for Awards:None