Protecting Blue Carbon Ecosystems

PROTECTING BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

FEATURE ECOCOAST – WWW.ECOCOAST.COM

Ecobarrier Inflatable Oil Boom, Kalba, UAE.

Over the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in exploring innovative ways to minimise the environmental footprint of coastal developments and marine disasters for blue carbon ecosystem protection.

Given that there were on average 1.8 large oil spills from tanker incidents every year in the decade from 2010 to 2019, countries whose coastlines are currently laid vulnerable to oil spills become ecological disaster target zones. Areas that have been impacted most recently are the Israeli, Lebanese and Mauritian shorelines last year, and the Peruvian coastline this year.

Given the significant impact blue carbon ecosystems have on climate change, they need to be protected against oil spills and debris. Oil booms are systems primarily used to contain oil spills and debris, to prevent damage to the blue carbon ecosystems. Placing oil booms in key positions around beaches and reserves can prevent environmental damage caused by oil spills.

HOW BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

The coastal ecosystems of mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows provide numerous benefits and services. These are essential for climate change adaptation along coasts globally, including protection from storms and sea level rise, prevention of coastal erosion, regulation of coastal water quality, provision of habitat for commercially important fisheries and endangered marine species, and food security for many coastal communities. These blue carbon ecosystems can be up to 10 times more efficient than terrestrial ecosystems at absorbing and storing carbon long term, making them a critical solution in the fight against climate change.

Blue carbon ecosystems are found along the coasts of every continent except Antartica. Mangroves grow in the intertidal zone of tropical and subtropical shores. Tidal marshes are intertidal ecosystems occurring on sheltered coastlines ranging from the sub-arctic to the tropics, though mainly in Europe, North America, Australia and in the higher latitudes of South America and Africa. While seagrass meadows are communities of underwaterflowering plants found in coastal waters of all continents with the exception of Antarctica.

Ecobarrier Solid Flotation Boom, Water-Link, Belgium

WHY THEY NEED PROTECTING

Despite these benefits, coastal blue carbon ecosystems are some of the most threatened ecosystems on earth, with an estimated 1,312 to 3,783 square miles being destroyed each year. It is estimated that up to 67 per cent of the global coverage of mangroves have been lost to either deforestation, chemical spills and other human causes. If these trends continue at current rates, a further 30-40% of tidal marshes, seagrasses and nearly all unprotected mangroves could be lost in the next century. When degraded or lost, these ecosystems can become significant sources of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.

About a year ago, the cargo ship MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on the southeast tip of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The resulting oil spill caused immense damage to the marine ecosystem in the area. The Japanese-owned vessel held 200 tons of diesel and 3,900 tons of fuel oil, of which an estimated 1,000 tons leaked into the sea when the ship’s hull cracked. The spill has left a 15-kilometre stretch of the coastline – an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot – smeared with oil. An area that was particularly vulnerable were the mangroves on the northern shoreline, which have been covered by the oil slick. Given the importance of mangroves to marine ecosystems, this is a hugely concerning development.

Ecobarrier Solid Flotation Boom, Water-Link, Belgium

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OIL BOOMS

Oil booms are primarily used to protect blue carbon shoreline areas from the damage caused by oil discharge. They can be implemented in ports, harbours, pipeline and intake projects, marinas, waterways and offshore as well, to protect them from oil spills. In addition, they also serve to protect marine areas from unwanted debris.

Following a spate of oil spills off the UAE coast, Ecocoast was required to install an inflatable oil boom. These oil spills affected a wide range of people – not only those living along the coast, such as fishing communities, but also hoteliers, diving centres, blue carbon nature reserves and mangrove swamps.

Following the deployment of the inflatable oil boom, we were recently tasked with manufacturing and installing an Ecobarrier Harbour Boom in a fishing village harbour. The Ecobarrier Harbour Boom is a heavyduty, durable oil boom that has been designed to stay in the water for years, with minimum maintenance. Constructed of high tensile material, the booms typical installations include intakes, ports and harbours. Its floats are rotomolded, foam filled, long and wide, which provide superior buoyancy in rough water.

With its installation, we plan to keep the precious mangrove ecosystem in the UAE safe, secure, and protected from any future man-made disasters, for years to come.

Within the last year, there has been just under 60,000 tons of oil spilt into our waters across the globe, destroying blue carbon ecosystems in its wake. We urge Governments, Environmental Agencies and Councils to seek preventative measures to stop oil in its tracks, saving resources from clean up, and the environmental areas from disasters.