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Building Blue Carbon Projects
An Introductory Guide
The team found the carbon contents of the ecosystems to be significant on a local scale, while on
the lower end when compared to non-arid regions of the world. Seagrass is by far the most
extensive Blue Carbon ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, and it is also important as a habitat for dugong
and sea turtle populations. Overall, ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration and storage,
such as shoreline stabilization, support to fisheries, direct recreational use, and water quality
maintenance were found to provide a larger share to overall value. Figure 9 illustrates the relation
of project components.
Figure 9
The relation of components of the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project.
Two ecosystems were studied that are special to the local environment. Coastal sabkha is a coastal
salt flat ecosystem. It can be flooded several times per year when exceptionally strong shamal
winds drive seawater inland. Coastal sabkha is largely devoid of vascular vegetation because of
hypersalinity and long periods of dry conditions, and does not sequester carbon. However, it can
serve as a cap to carbon deposited earlier by other ecosystems, and it is therefore considered an
