The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation

Carlos M. Duarte; Iñigo J. Losada; Iris E. Hendriks; Inés Mazarrasa; Núria Marbà

doi:10.1038/nclimate1970

The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation

Carlos M. Duarte, Iñigo J. Losada, Iris E. Hendriks, Inés Mazarrasa, Núria Marbà

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

1558 Scopus citations

Abstract

Marine vegetated habitats (seagrasses, salt-marshes, macroalgae and mangroves) occupy 0.2% of the ocean surface, but contribute 50% of carbon burial in marine sediments. Their canopies dissipate wave energy and high burial rates raise the seafloor, buffering the impacts of rising sea level and wave action that are associated with climate change. The loss of a third of the global cover of these ecosystems involves a loss of CO 2 sinks and the emission of 1 Pg CO 2 annually. The conservation, restoration and use of vegetated coastal habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coastal protection provide a promising strategy, delivering significant capacity for climate change mitigation and adaption.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	961-968
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Climate change
Volume	3
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1970
State	Published - Nov 2013
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/nclimate1970

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title = "The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation",

abstract = "Marine vegetated habitats (seagrasses, salt-marshes, macroalgae and mangroves) occupy 0.2% of the ocean surface, but contribute 50% of carbon burial in marine sediments. Their canopies dissipate wave energy and high burial rates raise the seafloor, buffering the impacts of rising sea level and wave action that are associated with climate change. The loss of a third of the global cover of these ecosystems involves a loss of CO 2 sinks and the emission of 1 Pg CO 2 annually. The conservation, restoration and use of vegetated coastal habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coastal protection provide a promising strategy, delivering significant capacity for climate change mitigation and adaption.",

author = "Duarte, {Carlos M.} and Losada, {I{\~n}igo J.} and Hendriks, {Iris E.} and In{\'e}s Mazarrasa and N{\'u}ria Marb{\`a}",

note = "Funding Information: This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (projects MEDEICG, CTM2009-07013 and ESTRESX, CTM2012-32603), the EU FP7 projects Opera (contract number 308393) and MedSEA (contract number -265103) and the CSIRO Coastal Carbon Cluster. N.M. was supported by a Gledden Fellowship from the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of Western Australia, I.H. was supported by a Posdoctoral contract of the JAE programme of CSIC and I.M. by a PhD scholarship of the Government of the Balearic Islands (Spain).",

year = "2013",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1038/nclimate1970",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "3",

pages = "961--968",

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T1 - The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation

AU - Duarte, Carlos M.

AU - Losada, Iñigo J.

AU - Hendriks, Iris E.

AU - Mazarrasa, Inés

AU - Marbà, Núria

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (projects MEDEICG, CTM2009-07013 and ESTRESX, CTM2012-32603), the EU FP7 projects Opera (contract number 308393) and MedSEA (contract number -265103) and the CSIRO Coastal Carbon Cluster. N.M. was supported by a Gledden Fellowship from the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of Western Australia, I.H. was supported by a Posdoctoral contract of the JAE programme of CSIC and I.M. by a PhD scholarship of the Government of the Balearic Islands (Spain).

PY - 2013/11

Y1 - 2013/11

N2 - Marine vegetated habitats (seagrasses, salt-marshes, macroalgae and mangroves) occupy 0.2% of the ocean surface, but contribute 50% of carbon burial in marine sediments. Their canopies dissipate wave energy and high burial rates raise the seafloor, buffering the impacts of rising sea level and wave action that are associated with climate change. The loss of a third of the global cover of these ecosystems involves a loss of CO 2 sinks and the emission of 1 Pg CO 2 annually. The conservation, restoration and use of vegetated coastal habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coastal protection provide a promising strategy, delivering significant capacity for climate change mitigation and adaption.

AB - Marine vegetated habitats (seagrasses, salt-marshes, macroalgae and mangroves) occupy 0.2% of the ocean surface, but contribute 50% of carbon burial in marine sediments. Their canopies dissipate wave energy and high burial rates raise the seafloor, buffering the impacts of rising sea level and wave action that are associated with climate change. The loss of a third of the global cover of these ecosystems involves a loss of CO 2 sinks and the emission of 1 Pg CO 2 annually. The conservation, restoration and use of vegetated coastal habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coastal protection provide a promising strategy, delivering significant capacity for climate change mitigation and adaption.

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U2 - 10.1038/nclimate1970

DO - 10.1038/nclimate1970

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:84885198003

SN - 1758-678X

VL - 3

SP - 961

EP - 968

JO - Nature Climate change

JF - Nature Climate change

IS - 11

ER -

The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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