Publicação
Potential of seagrass restoration for blue carbon storage
| Resumo: | Seagrasses are one of the most threatened ecosystems and have been declining worldwide. These ecosystems provide important ecological services to the marine environment and ecosystem services of high value, such as their role in climate regulation (long-term carbon storage in sediments and plants). Given the increase in greenhouse gases and the importance of these ecosystems for climate change mitigation, contributing to the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, it has become important to amplify the scale of restoration of these ecosystems, as well as their conservation. The present study at Ria de Aveiro (as case of study), aimed at (1) to promote the carbon storage capacity of seagrass meadows through restoration actions; (2) to assess the contribution of restoration actions to increase carbon storage in the Zostera noltei meadows; (3) to contribute to the objectives defined by the United Nations Decade for the Restoration of Ecosystems (2021-2030) and the EU Nature Restoration Law. This study provides a spatial (Murtosa, Antuã, Aveiro and Ílhavo) and temporal (2023 to 2024) assessment of the potential of seagrass (Zostera noltei) restoration for Blue Carbon storage at Ria de Aveiro, Portugal. Seagrass donor meadows were selected considering the seagrass coverage, healthy conditions and the distance to the restoration site. The transplant covers an area of 100 m² and were monitored in situ through photographs to assess the status and coverage of Zostera noltei using a GoPro Hero 6 and a Drone DJI Mavic 3 Classic. At each site PVC hand-corer were collected for sediment characterisation and Blue Carbon assessment. Antuã was the most successfully transplanted site, associated with fine sediments, higher organic matter, carbonates and organic carbon contents, while Murtosa was the least successful of the four sites, associated with sandier sediments, and in turn was the site where erosion occurred. C and N stocks were estimated and were higher in the Donor meadow compared to the Bare bottom, with the exception of N stock in Ílhavo. The potential of restoration implies long-term monitoring. This seagrass restoration project in the Ria de Aveiro offers a contribution to conservation and restoration, preventing the loss and degradation of habitats and improving the functioning and services of ecosystems, to achieve the goals set by the United Nations Decade for the Restoration of Ecosystems (2021-2030) and the EU Nature Restoration Law, as well as the contribution to the inventory of blue carbon. |
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| Autores principais: | Pinto, Mariana da Mota |
| Assunto: | Blue carbon ecosystems Nature-based solutions Zostera noltei Ria de Aveiro Nitrogen |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Aveiro |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RIA - Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro |
| Resumo: | Seagrasses are one of the most threatened ecosystems and have been declining worldwide. These ecosystems provide important ecological services to the marine environment and ecosystem services of high value, such as their role in climate regulation (long-term carbon storage in sediments and plants). Given the increase in greenhouse gases and the importance of these ecosystems for climate change mitigation, contributing to the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, it has become important to amplify the scale of restoration of these ecosystems, as well as their conservation. The present study at Ria de Aveiro (as case of study), aimed at (1) to promote the carbon storage capacity of seagrass meadows through restoration actions; (2) to assess the contribution of restoration actions to increase carbon storage in the Zostera noltei meadows; (3) to contribute to the objectives defined by the United Nations Decade for the Restoration of Ecosystems (2021-2030) and the EU Nature Restoration Law. This study provides a spatial (Murtosa, Antuã, Aveiro and Ílhavo) and temporal (2023 to 2024) assessment of the potential of seagrass (Zostera noltei) restoration for Blue Carbon storage at Ria de Aveiro, Portugal. Seagrass donor meadows were selected considering the seagrass coverage, healthy conditions and the distance to the restoration site. The transplant covers an area of 100 m² and were monitored in situ through photographs to assess the status and coverage of Zostera noltei using a GoPro Hero 6 and a Drone DJI Mavic 3 Classic. At each site PVC hand-corer were collected for sediment characterisation and Blue Carbon assessment. Antuã was the most successfully transplanted site, associated with fine sediments, higher organic matter, carbonates and organic carbon contents, while Murtosa was the least successful of the four sites, associated with sandier sediments, and in turn was the site where erosion occurred. C and N stocks were estimated and were higher in the Donor meadow compared to the Bare bottom, with the exception of N stock in Ílhavo. The potential of restoration implies long-term monitoring. This seagrass restoration project in the Ria de Aveiro offers a contribution to conservation and restoration, preventing the loss and degradation of habitats and improving the functioning and services of ecosystems, to achieve the goals set by the United Nations Decade for the Restoration of Ecosystems (2021-2030) and the EU Nature Restoration Law, as well as the contribution to the inventory of blue carbon. |
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