4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313234373431 English Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en 2026-03-03T11:14:41.533Z NRW 1.0 wel British National Grid (EPSG::27700) Carbon sequestration potential of marine habitats Carbon sequestration potential of marine habitats Potensial dal a storio carbon cynefinoedd morol Blue Carbon Estimating the Carbon Sink Potential of the Welsh Marine Environment 2020-03-31 NRW_DS124741 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. 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. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en ABPmer ABPmer, Quayside Suite, Medina Chambers, Southampton, SO14 2AQ, United Kingdom enquiries@abpmer.co.uk http://www.abpmer.co.uk/ Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme blue carbon NRW Thesaurus 2024-06-13 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords Habitat characterisation SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2024-03-28 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml IPSV Subjects List 2020-11-18 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.subjects NRW SMNR Keywords 2024-03-05 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords 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. no limitations © 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. English environment SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 circalittoral Irish Sea -7.65307 -2.3993 50.82589 54.01326 2019-12-01 2020-03-13 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 Geographic Information System ESRI Feature Class 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 2010-12-08 This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation. false 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. 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.