Blue carbon in the Indian Ocean: a review and research agenda

ABSTRACT

The Indian Ocean is home to some of the most extensive coastal blue carbon ecosystems on the planet. Together, the nations within and surrounding this ocean basin contain approximately 50% (an estimated 76,275 km²) of the world’s mangrove forests and a large, but unknown, proportion of its seagrass meadows. The nations of the Indian Ocean have an opportunity to be world leaders in restoration and protection of these ecosystems, which can help mitigate climate change, enhance livelihoods and protect shorelines from erosion and storm damage. Already, Indian Ocean nations are showing leadership by acknowledging blue carbon ecosystems in their Nationally Determined Contributions, and by championing efforts to establish some of the largest blue carbon restoration projects globally. However, more can be done. We outline a research agenda that will pave the way for effective evidence-based policy in the Indian Ocean, by reducing uncertainty and providing the tools and knowledge needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Mangrove
• seagrass: restoration
• sequestration
• carbon offsets

Acknowledgements

This research was initiated through the IORA Indian Ocean Blue Carbon Symposium, supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and IORA and hosted in Madagascar, May 2019. The ideas presented are a result of fruitful conversations with our colleagues during the event.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Mathew A Vanderklift is a senior research scientist in CSIRO with 25 years of experience studying coastal vegetated ecosystems, with a particular focus on understanding the factors that influence growth, the interactions among the plants and animals in those ecosystems, and their responses to the way that humans use them. He has worked in seagrass, coral reef, and other coastal ecosystems widely in the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. His research in blue carbon encompasses the science of ecology and biogeochemistry, but also the policy, legal and financial frameworks. He has hosted international conferences and workshops (including the conference in Perth that led to this special issue), has trained young science and policy practitioners from overseas, and leads a range of projects and activities that seek to enhance our understanding of blue carbon and improve the frameworks in which they are managed. He strives not just to study problems, but to use science to solve them.

Daniel Gorman is a research scientist with more than 18 years of experience studying the storage, movement and assimilation of carbon within coastal ecosystems (i.e., mangroves, seagrasses, saltmarshes, and algal canopies). He has worked extensively across Australia, in France and Brazil, using a multidisciplinary approach (spatial ecology, stable isotopes, and ecosystem resilience) to improve our understanding of issues affecting the coastal environment. Daniel is currently involved in Blue Carbon research across the Indo-Pacific region, where he seeks to raise awareness of the ecological and societal importance of coastal ecosystems.

Andrew D. L. Steven is the Research Director of Coastal Research for CSIRO, with 30 years of experience in coastal research and management throughout temperate and tropical Australia, the Asia‐Pacific, the Middle‐East, and South America. Andy is recognized for his research on nutrient and carbon biogeochemistry of coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs and estuaries, and its application to natural research management. He has championed the development and application of new technologies for measuring and monitoring components of Australia’s coastal systems including carbon stocks and facilitated a number of large blue carbon projects including the CSIRO Blue Carbon Cluster. These activities have provided Andy with a broad knowledge of carbon stock measurement and temporal monitoring in Blue Carbon ecosystems.