Blue Carbon Reservoir Of The Blue Planet

The ever increasing emission of carbon dioxide due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, unplanned tourism and alteration of land use pattern is causing unprecedented changes to marine biodiversity. Irrespective of political philosophy, nation, caste, sex and religion, mankind is under the appalling shadow of climate change. Today nature-based approaches for the mitigation of climate change are increasingly accepted as part of the low-cost solution. Thrust has been given by several scientific communities to assess the magnitude and viability of carbon sequestering potential of plants. Coastal producer communities like mangroves, salt marsh grass, seagrass beds, and seaweeds absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis. This carbon known as the ‘blue carbon’ is thus associated with the marine and estuarine ecosystems. However, a number of gaps in our scientific knowledge on blue carbon domain still exist. Molluscs, coral reefs, phytoplankton, which are amongst the important storehouses of carbon, have not been addressed. Very few scientific studies on the carbon stored in these valuable natural vaults have been performed, and no data bank is available on their carbon sequestering capacity on global basis. The methodologies for assessing blue carbon stock also need further standardization so that credit from blue carbon reservoir is accepted by the International bodies in the form of a concrete policy. It is a matter of great appreciation that Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources (IUCN), and the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is collaborating with governments, research institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, and communities around the world to develop management approaches, financial incentives and policy mechanisms for ensuring conservation and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems and implement projects around the world that demonstrate the feasibility of blue carbon accounting, management, and incentive agreements. The present book has critically presented the data bank for each community of blue carbon not merely in the form of text description, but also through case studies that are the outcomes of research projects and pilot programmes.

The Blue Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Sciences, 3rd Edition is an innovative text for the earth systems science course. It treats earth science from a systems perspective, now showing the five spheres and how they are interrelated. There are many photos and figures in the text to develop a strong understanding of the material presented. This along with the new media for instructors makes this a strong text for any earth systems science course.

A unique introduction to the holistic view of the Earth. Stresses the systems approach, showing the energy flows and links between the Earth's different parts—the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and the solid Earth—and the balance in the global environment that exists as a result of these interactions. Every chapter opens with a topical essay dealing with research on the subject matter and closes with a guest essay written by a researcher in the field. Special attention has been paid to select full-color artwork and photographs which illuminate discussions.

This report explores the potential for mitigating the impacts of climate change by improved management and protection of marine ecosystems and especially the vegetated coastal habitat, or blue carbon sinks. The objective of this report is to highlight the critical role of the oceans and ocean ecosystems in maintaining our climate and in assisting policy makers to mainstream an oceans agenda into national and international climate change initiatives. While emissions' reductions are currently at the centre of the climate change discussions, the critical role of the oceans and ocean ecosystems has been vastly overlooked.

This book describes the mechanisms that allow aquatic photosynthetic organisms to contribute about half of the global primary productivity; in order to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, they transform the original anoxic atmosphere of the Earth over geological time. Aquatic photosynthesis is performed by a wide diversity of organisms, predominantly involving cyanobacteria, and algae derived from the “red-lineage”, unlike terrestrial primary productivity, which is restricted to “green-lineage” plants. Blue Planet, Red and Green Photosynthesis describes how, in order to maximize productivity, aquatic primary producers have evolved a series of structures and mechanisms that increase the limiting supply of carbon dioxide to the enzyme, Rubisco, which is responsible for carbon dioxide fixation. This book covers the molecular mechanisms involved in aquatic carbon uptake and the global consequences as humankind alters the blue planet.