LINKING SEASCAPE CARBON MANAGEMENT TO THE MARKET.
The Seascape Carbon Initiative (SCI) - mobilized by Verra and Silvestrum Climate Associates - brings together a broad community including the Blue Carbon Initiative, Oceans 2050, Blue Marine Foundation, project developers and coastal communities, to explore, evaluate and develop carbon market mechanisms to support coastal and marine carbon drawdown. The goal of the SCI is to explore and unlock the potential of coastal and marine activities that could generate significant and verifiable climate and sustainable development value.
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The SCI is global in extent. By developing high quality tools and standards under an established and credible governance and operating framework we are catalyzing scalable actions, from sustainable community development to national goals. Comprehensive, economy-wide emissions reductions are required to meet net zero and 1.5oC targets. Recarbonizing the marine biosphere has the potential to remove carbon and finance ecosystem recovery. Credible carbon offsets are an important financing tool to enable near-term actions. Wetland Restoration and Conservation is already recognized as an eligible project category under the Verified Carbon Standard, with methodologies covering coastal peatlands, marshes, mangroves and seagrasses. The SCI is advancing the science and engaging with partners to expand the enabling environment to broader seascape ecosystems.
THE CHALLENGE
Organic carbon burial across the ocean floor removes carbon from active pools in the atmosphere and surface ocean waters.Coastal wetlands and adjacent continental shelves account for less than 10% of global ocean area but support 80% of organic carbon burial in sediments and 50% of the organic delivery to the deep ocean. This removal accounts for 8-19% of the global total ocean carbon sink. It is also important to recognize the role of human interventions on the inorganic carbon cycle, including the production of alkalinity and dissolution and precipitation of carbonates.
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Human activities can have a positive or negative impact on ocean carbon drawdown. Climate positive activities include conservation and restoration of ‘wild’ seaweeds; expansion of the ‘farmed’ seaweed industries with the purpose of either extraction of seaweed for land-based uses or for sinking into deep ocean waters to increase organic burial rates; and management of seabed to preserve ongoing sequestration and prevent emission of established carbon stocks. However, many questions remain to be addressed before these initiatives can fully quantify their climate impact and access climate finance to ensure sustainability.
OUR APPROACH
Our approach is focused around a core technical team tasked with developing the required methodologies. This team will interface with focal groups of key stakeholders from the science, carbon project development, NGO and industry communities. The SCI will be supported by a secretariat that will provide a coordination and outreach role to build energy around the seascape carbon crediting mechanism. The Initiative will coordinate with ongoing parallel actions to address key science and legal questions and with project developers to bring forth a pipeline of projects for crediting.
CONNECT IN
The Seascape Carbon Initiative welcomes your participation. The Initiative is currently engaging with technical teams under the Blue Carbon Initiative, Ocean Visions and Oceans 2050, and a growing network of partners. We welcome all interested in seascape carbon, from casual engagement of those seeking to track progress, to those building science programs.
MEET OUR PARTNERS
PARTNER ACTIVITIES
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North Sea Farmers - find project title
Cornelia's project in BC
Oceans 2050
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Convex Seascape Survey
Convex Seascape Survey
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