MEDIA RELEASE: Carbon storage in costal ecosystems receives new funding

Environment Institute researchers receive new funding to investigate the potential for more carbon storage in our coastal ecosystems.

Leading the way in blue carbon opportunities, our researchers have recently won funding through the new Blue Carbon Futures Grants from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board.

Blue carbon is carbon stored in coastal ecosystems, such as in the plants and/or sediments of saltmarshes, mangroves and seagrass beds.

The aim of this funding is to help reduce gas emissions by restoring and protecting Adelaide’s coast environments. If these delicate ecosystems are degraded, they can actually increase emissions by releasing greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere.

University of Adelaide researchers are leading or participating in three new projects:

1. 'Mapping coastal wetland blue carbon potential in the Adelaide Mount Lofty Ranges (AMLR) Natural Resource Management (NRM) region' - lead organisation University of Adelaide.

This project will generate a map of Blue Carbon Potential) across the AMLR NRM region, providing an assessment of blue carbon stocks and sequestration rates. It will be the first step towards a state-wide map of blue carbon.

Principal Investigator: Dr Alice Jones, Research Associate, Marine Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide

2. 'Potential for Zostera seagrass recovery and rehabilitation to enhance blue carbon in South Australia' - lead organisation University of Adelaide, with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

The project will assess the extent of carbon accumulation in seagrass meadows and look at how quickly carbon storage changes with natural recovery. As well as underwater video and dive surveys, drones will be used to map intertidal areas to provide a precise baseline for assessing future changes in eelgrass (Zostera).

Principal Investigator: Dr Jason Tanner, Affiliate Senior Lecturer, The University of Adelaide

3. 'A Blue Carbon future through introducing tidal flow to salt ponds and stranded saltmarsh for Dry Creek and the Samphire Coast' - led by Flinders University in collaboration with University of Adelaide.

This project will assess the Blue Carbon futures for Dry Creek and stranded saltmarsh habitats in Gulf St Vincent. Stranded marshes are those that have been cut off from tidal flows by levees or other developments.

Principal Investigator: Prof Sabine Dittmann (Flinders) and Assoc. Prof Luke Mosely (UoA) Biogeochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide

Technical reports can be found at Goyder Institute.



Image: The carbon cycle in blue carbon ecosystems.

“Blue carbon ecosystems make a significant contribution to the global carbon cycle, with organic carbon sequestration rates and storage periods orders of magnitude higher than in many terrestrial ecosystems,” says Dr Alice Jones, Principal Investigator of the Mapping Coastal Wetland project, and Research Associate in the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences.

“This makes them of significant interest for national and regional climate change mitigation strategies together with ongoing, high rates of global blue carbon ecosystem loss. Degradation and loss of blue carbon ecosystems decreases the carbon storage capacity of the coastal carbon sink and results in CO₂ emissions, while their conservation, restoration and creation have the potential to increase carbon capture and storage, mitigate climate change, support carbon finance opportunities and provide numerous other ecosystem services.”

University of Adelaide researchers involved in the research, all from the School of Biological Sciences include:

• Marine Biology: Dr Alice Jones and Professor Bronwyn Gillanders


• Biogeochemisty: Associate Professor Luke Mosley


• Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility: Dr Ramesh Raja Segaran


• Spatial Ecology: Dr Ken Clarke


• The projects have received co-funding from the School of Biological Sciences, SA Water, the Environment Protection Authority and the Department for Environment and Water.

Original media release from the Newsroom.



Image: The role of South Australia’s blue carbon ecosystems in mitigating climate change.

Infographics: by Animate Your Science @Animate_Science and Rene Campbell @ReneCampbellArt

First blog image: Hannah Auricht and Dr Tan Dang, taken by Dr Luke Mosely