Overview of Blue Carbon Canada

Blue Carbon Canada’s (BCC) goal is to significantly advance understanding of the capacity for Canada’s oceans to provide natural climate solutions through the expanded protection, restoration, and effective management of blue carbon ecosystems. Working in partnership with Canada’s government, eNGOs, First Nations, and the academic community, we study the natural carbon sequestration and storage capacity of Canada’s traditional (seagrasses and tidal marshes) and emerging (kelps and seabed sediments) blue carbon ecosystems, and how this capacity could be affected by future climate change and land-use scenarios. We also study the potential for mobilizing effective natural climate solutions that offer climate mitigation benefits while continuing to meet ecological and societal needs. As part of this endeavor, we train early-career scientists, including postdocs, in blue carbon science, data synthesis and modeling, decision science, and ocean policy. Together, we will close critical blue carbon knowledge gaps and work to inform priorities for new protections and restoration projects through governmental and Indigenous-led conservation and land use planning.

Objectives

BCC has several key objectives:

1) Quantify the current and future carbon sequestration potential of coastal vegetated BCEs under scenarios of climate change and land use change.

2) Determine mobile bottom fishing impacts on seabed sediment carbon storage.

3) Assess and map the diverse values (i.e., biodiversity and ecosystem services) associated with Canada’s BCEs as potential co-benefits of expanded habitat protection and restoration.

4) Appraise the current and future threats that impact the potential for these ecosystems to act as nature-based solutions

5) Prioritize Canada’s BCEs for new protections and restoration to maximize benefits.

6) Mobilize this new knowledge to end-users to inform conservation planning, carbon accounting, and climate action in federal and provincial governments.

Activities

BCC activities include:

· Engaging with GO-BC programme leads and other blue carbon initiatives.

· Supporting existing regional knowledge sharing hubs and contributing to the development of new ones.

· Participating in and organizing regional and international meetings.

Collaboration and Integration

Through collaborations and research, BCC’s work supports GO-BC Decade programme’s objectives to deepen the understanding of ocean-climate relationships and produce climate- and humanity-smart responses. Particularly through fostering collaborations between researchers, government agencies, and eNGOs across Canada to advance understanding of ocean carbon sinks and to accelerate the mobilization of blue carbon science to support