28 / 72
Ecosystems of Interest
The
Blue Carbon: First level exploration
of natural coastal carbon in the Arabian
Peninsula - Rapid Feasibility Study
,
2011, the predecessor to the Abu Dhabi
Blue Carbon Demonstration Project,
identified costal sabkha as expressing
characteristics with the potential to
sequester and store carbon. As a
result, it was assessed as a candidate
Blue Carbon ecosystem within the
subsequent project. Through the surveys
of the project however, coastal sabkha
was found to not sequester carbon, but
potentially to cap buried carbon, and
therefore can be considered as a Blue
Carbon associated ecosystem.
Algal mats (also known as
cyanobacterial mats or microbial
mats) can have close associations with
coastal sabkha. They were found to
flourish in sheltered coastal arid zone
environments where vascular plants are
excluded by very high soil salinities. This
close relationship with coastal sabkha
also prompted the hypothesis that these
algal mats may have the potential to
sequester and store carbon. The algal
mats were therefore considered as a
candidate Blue Carbon ecosystems
during the assessments.
Figure 3
Illustrates the relationship between
the Blue Carbon ecosystems in Abu Dhabi,
the history of a shoreline shifting seaward and
resulting the soil profiles. The presence of these
buried former Blue Carbon ecosystems within
profiles encountered has relevant implications
for future development in these areas.
Subtidal Zone
Mean Tide Level
Lateral Accretion
Mangrove
Intertidal Zone
Coastal Sabkha
Buried Algal Mat
Mangrove Paleosoil
Marine Sands
Buried Seagrass
Salt
Marsh
Supratidal Zone
As carbon dioxide is likely to be
released when areas are degraded to
accommodate mangrove plantings,
these should be carefully planned on
a scientific basis to avoid unintended
consequences. It is therefore
recommended that geomorphology,
connections to other marine and
coastal ecosystems and the ability of
mangroves to adapt to climate change-
driven environmental impacts should
be central considerations in future
afforestation projects.
28