Carbon sequestration potential of marine habitats

Blue carbon is the carbon stored and sequestered by marine habitats. Related terms can be defined as follows: • A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon. • A carbon store encompasses the carbon stored in the water column, surface sediments and floral and faunal biomass. This storage may be short or long-term. Where carbon is stored in the long-term, it can be considered to be sequestered. In order to estimate the blue carbon potential of Welsh waters, and thus allow a greater understanding of how Welsh marine ecosystems contribute to offsetting the release of carbon through human activities, the following steps have been undertaken for this study: • The best and most up to date available spatial datalayers for blue carbon habitats have been identified and combined so that approximate Welsh coverage could be determined for each. • The relevant literature has been reviewed to obtain the most relevant carbon storage and sequestration values which would then be applied to Welsh marine habitats. • A dedicated numerical model has been interrogated to obtain (1) water column carbon estimates (including plankton biomass); (2) estimates on air-sea flux of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) (i.e. how much CO2 enters the water column and is converted into various forms of carbon), as well as (3) estimates of carbon flux across the Welsh marine boundary (i.e. how much carbon leaves Welsh waters and gets transported to adjacent shelf and deeper waters). • Riverine inputs of carbon have also been estimated based on literature values and average river discharges supplied by NRW hydrologists. • Carbon values have been calculated and put into context with terrestrial (‘green carbon’) rates, as well as Welsh CO2 emissions.

Identifier: NRW_DS124741

Alternative Title

Potensial dal a storio carbon cynefinoedd morol
Blue Carbon
Estimating the Carbon Sink Potential of the Welsh Marine Environment

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: This data was created in a number of stages: • Up-to-date information was collated on the carbon storage and sequestration potential (and rates) of relevant / mappable potential sinks in Welsh waters through a literature and data review. • This information has then been used to parameterize a simple method which draws on datalayers to derive the spatial distribution of the relevant habitats. The information on storage and sequestration potential has been cross-checked against a basic carbon budget model for Welsh waters that draws on the outputs from a sophisticated numerical model and wider sources. • The derived carbon sequestration values have also been monetised and set into a Welsh context. Full methodologies and data processing is listed in NRW Evidence Report 428 (Appendix B). There is also a detailed data processing spreadsheet which accompanies the data. Limitations to the data have been noted, for example in relation to carbon fluxes into and out of the Welsh marine area, uncertainties in habitat distribution and in relation to some sequestration rates.

Additional Information: Hull, S., Armstrong, S., Pearson, Z., Kay, S. 2020. Estimating the Carbon Sink Potential of the Welsh Marine Environment. NRW, NRW Evidence Report Series Report No 428: Natural Resources Wales, Bangor

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2020-03-31

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 2019-12-01

End date: 2020-03-13

Topic category

Environment

Owner

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Originator

ABPmer

ABPmer, Quayside Suite, Medina Chambers, Southampton, SO14 2AQ, United Kingdom

http://www.abpmer.co.uk/

Extent

Geographic Extent: Irish Sea

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword: circalittoral

Format Type and Description

Geographic Information System ( )

Specification

ESRI Feature Class

Data quality

Quality Scope: Dataset

Conformity: Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation
Degree: false

Lineage: This data was created in a number of stages: • Up-to-date information was collated on the carbon storage and sequestration potential (and rates) of relevant / mappable potential sinks in Welsh waters through a literature and data review. • This information has then been used to parameterize a simple method which draws on datalayers to derive the spatial distribution of the relevant habitats. The information on storage and sequestration potential has been cross-checked against a basic carbon budget model for Welsh waters that draws on the outputs from a sophisticated numerical model and wider sources. • The derived carbon sequestration values have also been monetised and set into a Welsh context. Full methodologies and data processing is listed in NRW Evidence Report 428 (Appendix B). There is also a detailed data processing spreadsheet which accompanies the data. Limitations to the data have been noted, for example in relation to carbon fluxes into and out of the Welsh marine area, uncertainties in habitat distribution and in relation to some sequestration rates.

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Habitats and biotopes

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

blue carbon

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-13

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

Habitat characterisation

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-03-28

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml

Code: British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type: Other restrictions

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations: no limitations

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints: Part of this dataset is sensitive and restricted as it contains data exempt from general release under EIR. Sensitive data must be kept confidential; general release is not permitted due to risk of harm to the environment or third parties. The data is considered OS and BGS derived data and is therefore jointly owned by NRW, Ordnance Survey and British Geological Survey. There are no access restrictions on this data. However there are third party use restrictions.

Use Constraints

Use constraints type: Other restrictions

Other constraints: © CNC/NRW and © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Natural Resources Wales, AC0000849444. Derived in part from data provided under Licence by the British Geological Survey © NERC. Data may be re-used under provision and in line with the terms of a NRW licence and NRWs guidance on Ecological data exempt from general release. Those seeking commercial re-use require a commercial licence available from the OS.

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313234373431 XML

Metadata Language: English

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2024-06-18T13:43:38.373Z

Metadata Standard Name: NRW

Metadata Standard Version: 1.0

pointOfContact

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Publishing Body

Access the portal

Full access to the portal and metadata.

Carbon sequestration potential of marine habitats

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Vertical Extent

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Spatial Reference System

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Access Constraints Directive

Access Constraints Text

Use Constraints

Metadata

Metadata

Publishing Body