Phil Colarusso, Boston Office of the EPA Wetlands and coastal waters are exceptionally effective at storing carbon as well as performing many other ecosystem functions. Phil Colarusso tells us how cities and the global climate benefit from offshore seagrass beds, one of the richest of ecological resources and carbon sinks and part of the Boston area's native habitat. Eelgrass survival is entirely dependent on effective management of water resources for human use, especially intact healthy wetlands and efficient sewage disposal. Presented at the Urban and Suburban Carbon Farming to Reverse Global Warming conference at Harvard University on May 3, 2015, organized by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. www.bio4climate.org

1. Phil Colarusso
US EPA

2. Blue Carbon
 Carbon that is associated with salt marsh, seagrass or
mangroves
 Species in these groups have high growth rates and
thus can absorb large quantities of CO2
 Carbon is sequestered in the sediments/soil for as long
as the habitat stays intact

7. Annual Carbon Sequestration Rates
 Mangroves: 0.13 to 24 Mg CO2e/ha/yr
 Salt Marsh: 0.01 to 63 Mg CO2e/ha/yr
 Seagrass: -76 to 85 Mg CO2e/ha/yr
 Tropical forests: -20.02 to 8 Mg CO2e/ha/yr

9. Importance of Seagrass
 Seagrass meadows are estimated to occupy less than
0.2% of the area of the world’s oceans, but account for
about 20% of the sequestered carbon on an annual
basis

10. Loss/degradation of Coastal
Wetlands
 Mangroves
 Globally losing 0.66%/yr
 Greatest losses are in Asia
 Salt Marsh
 Data in many geographic areas is scarce
 Globally estimated to be 1 to 2%/yr
 Seagrass
 Globally 1-3%/yr

11. Putting the losses in context
 Emissions that result from conversion and degradation
of coastal wetlands estimated to be between 300 to
900 million tons CO2e
 Roughly equivalent to the annual emissions from
energy and industry sectors for Poland and Germany

15. Seagrass stressors
 Reductions in water clarity/eutrophication
 Piers/wharfs/moorings
 Dredging
 Invasive species
 Trawling/shellfishing

16. What you can do
 Reduce nitrogen
 Cut fertilizer use
 Eat lower on the food chain
 Mass transit/increased fuel efficiency
 Limit/reduce impervious surface
 Avoid farmed shrimp
 Be a responsible boater

17. Conserve
the Blue
Carbon for
me!