title: Can greening of aquaculture sequester blue carbon?
abstract: Globally, blue carbon (i.e., carbon in coastal and marine ecosystems) emissions have been seriously augmented due to the devastating effects of anthropogenic pressures on coastal ecosystems including mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. The greening of aquaculture, however, including an ecosystem approach to Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture (IAA) and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) could play a significant role in reversing this trend, enhancing coastal ecosystems, and sequestering blue carbon. Ponds within IAA farming systems sequester more carbon per unit area than conventional fish ponds, natural lakes, and inland seas. The translocation of shrimp culture from mangrove swamps to offshore IMTA could reduce mangrove loss, reverse blue carbon emissions, and in turn increase storage of blue carbon through restoration of mangroves. Moreover, offshore IMTA may create a barrier to trawl fishing which in turn could help restore seagrasses and further enhance blue carbon sequestration. Seaweed and shellfish culture within IMTA could also help to sequester more blue carbon. The greening of aquaculture could face several challenges that need to be addressed in order to realize substantial benefits from enhanced blue carbon sequestration and eventually contribute to global climate change mitigation.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany. nesar.ahmed@zmt-bremen.de.
authors.forename: Nesar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Bunting Aquaculture, Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Conservation Services, Glemsford, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Stuart W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Bunting
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3R4, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Flaherty
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Diana
mesh_terms: D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Aquaculture; Blue carbon; Climate change; Coastal ecosystems; Mitigation