Abstract
This work assessed the Blue Carbon (C) stock in the seagrass meadows (Zostera noltei) of Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon (Portugal), and evaluated its spatio-temporal trend over the 2003–2005 to 2013–2014 period. Zostera noltei spatial distribution, restricted to intertidal areas in 2014, was mapped by remote sensing using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and aerial photography. Zostera noltei biomass was also monitored in situ over a year and its Blue C stock was estimated. By 2014, intertidal meadows covered an area of 226 ± 4 ha and their Blue C stock ranged from 227 ± 6 to 453 ± 13 Mg C. Overall, Ria de Aveiro Z. noltei intertidal meadows increased in extent over the 2003–2005 to 2013–2014 period, corroborating the recent declining trend reversal observed in Europe and contrary to the global decline trend. This spatio-temporal shift might be related to a natural adjustment of the intertidal meadows to past human intervention in Ria de Aveiro, namely large-scale dredging activities, particularly in the 1996–1998 period, combined with the more accurate assessment performed in 2014 using the UAV. This recovery contributes to the effective increase of the Blue C stock in Ria de Aveiro and, ultimately, to supporting climate regulation and improving ecosystem health. However, major dredging activities are foreseen in the system’s management plan, which can again endanger the recovery trend of Z. noltei intertidal meadows in Ria de Aveiro.
Highlights
IntroductionBlue Carbon (C) corresponds mostly to the C stored in the soil, living biomass (aboveground and belowground), and non-living biomass (e.g. litter) of seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and mangroves[1]
In coastal ecosystems, Blue Carbon (C) corresponds mostly to the C stored in the soil, living biomass, and non-living biomass of seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and mangroves[1]
Ria de Aveiro, a coastal lagoon in Portugal, is a long-term ecological research (LTER) site with several important habitats that justify its inclusion in the Natura 2000 network and classification as a Special Protection Area, comprising areas classified as Sites of Community Importance
Summary
Blue Carbon (C) corresponds mostly to the C stored in the soil, living biomass (aboveground and belowground), and non-living biomass (e.g. litter) of seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and mangroves[1]. Seagrasses are important habitats in the scope of the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive, and valuable indicators of the quality of the marine environment, acknowledged as biological quality elements in the scope of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) International conventions such as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (“OSPAR Convention”), Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (HELCOM), Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea, and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, highlight the need to preserve seagrass meadows.
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