Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

Oscar Serrano; Catherine E. Lovelock; Trisha B. Atwood; Peter I. Macreadie; Robert Canto; Stuart Phinn; Ariane Arias-Ortiz; Le Bai; Jeff Baldock; Camila Bedulli; Paul Carnell; Rod M. Connolly; Paul Donaldson; Alba Esteban; Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis; Bradley D. Eyre; Matthew A. Hayes; Pierre Horwitz; Lindsay B. Hutley; Christopher R. J. Kavazos; Jeffrey J. Kelleway; Gary A. Kendrick; Kieryn Kilminster; Anna Lafratta; Shing Lee; Paul S. Lavery; Damien T. Maher; Nuria Marba; Pere Masque; Miguel A. Mateo; Richard Mount; Peter J. Ralph; Chris Roelfsema; Mohammad Rozaimi; Radhiyah Ruhon; Cristian Salinas; Jimena Samper-Villarreal; Jonathan Sanderman; Christian J. Sanders; Isaac Santos; Chris Sharples; Andrew D. L. Steven; Toni Cannard; Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett; Carlos M. Duarte

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

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Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

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Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

Oscar Serrano, Catherine E. Lovelock, Trisha B. Atwood, Peter I. Macreadie, Robert Canto, Stuart Phinn, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Le Bai, Jeff Baldock, Camila Bedulli, …

Nature communications, Vol.10(1), pp.4313-10

02/10/2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

PMCID: PMC6773740

PMID: 31575872

Abstract

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Science & Technology

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE; tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrasses) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here, we present organic carbon (C) storage in VCE across Australian climate regions and estimate potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and restoration. Australia contributes 5-11% of the C stored in VCE globally (70-185 Tg C in aboveground biomass, and 1,055-1,540 Tg C in the upper 1 m of soils). Potential CO2 emissions from current VCE losses are estimated at 2.1-3.1 Tg CO2-e yr(-1), increasing annual CO2 emissions from land use change in Australia by 12-21%. This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Title: Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation
Creators - without role: Oscar Serrano - Edith Cowan University
Catherine E. Lovelock - University of Queensland
Trisha B. Atwood - Utah State University
Peter I. Macreadie - Deakin University
Robert Canto - University of Queensland
Stuart Phinn - University of Queensland
Ariane Arias-Ortiz - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Le Bai - Charles Darwin University
Jeff Baldock - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Camila Bedulli - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Paul Carnell - Deakin University
Rod M. Connolly - Griffith University
Paul Donaldson - BMT Environm, Newcastle, NSW 2292, Australia
Alba Esteban - Edith Cowan University
Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis - Deakin University
Bradley D. Eyre - Southern Cross University
Matthew A. Hayes - University of Queensland
Pierre Horwitz - Edith Cowan University
Lindsay B. Hutley - Charles Darwin University
Christopher R. J. Kavazos - Edith Cowan University
Jeffrey J. Kelleway - University of Wollongong
Gary A. Kendrick - University of Western Australia
Kieryn Kilminster - University of Western Australia
Anna Lafratta - Edith Cowan University
Shing Lee - Griffith University
Paul S. Lavery - Edith Cowan University
Damien T. Maher - Southern Cross University
Nuria Marba - Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies
Pere Masque - Edith Cowan University
Miguel A. Mateo - Edith Cowan University
Richard Mount - University of Tasmania
Peter J. Ralph - University of Technology Sydney
Chris Roelfsema - University of Queensland
Mohammad Rozaimi - Edith Cowan University
Radhiyah Ruhon - University of Western Australia
Cristian Salinas - Edith Cowan University
Jimena Samper-Villarreal - Universidad de Costa Rica
Jonathan Sanderman - Woodwell Climate Research Center
Christian J. Sanders - Southern Cross University
Isaac Santos - Southern Cross University
Chris Sharples - University of Tasmania
Andrew D. L. Steven - CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
Toni Cannard - CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett - Deakin University
Carlos M. Duarte - University of Western Australia
Publication Details: Nature communications, Vol.10(1), pp.4313-10
Publisher: Springer Nature
Number of pages: 10
Grant note: University of Queensland Centennial Scholarship UTS Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster Victorian Coastal Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) CTM 2013-47728-R / SUMILEN CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Victorian Coastal Catchment Management Authority (EGCMA) Obra Social "LaCaixa"; La Caixa Foundation NSW Southeast Local Land Services Victorian Coastal Catchment Management Authority (GHCMA) Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MDM2015-0552 / ICTA 'Unit of Excellence' (MinECo) CSIRO Marine and Coastal Carbon Biogeochemical Cluster ECU Faculty Research Grant Scheme DE130101084; DE140101733; DE150100581; DE160100443; DE170101524; DP150103286; DP150102092; DP160100248; DP180101285; LE140100083; LE170100219; LP150100519; LP160100242; LP110200975 / Australian Research Council Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Victorian Coastal Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) Parks Victoria Victorian Coastal Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA) MERS 2014 SGR-1356 / Generalitat de Catalunya; General Electric ECU Early Career Research Grant Schemes Hodgkin Trust Scholarship Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering Northern Territory Government Innovation Grant
Identifiers: 9942481608331
Academic Unit: King Abdullah University of Science & Technology
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article