TPO – According to calculations by scientists from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the seagrass ecosystem in Vietnam has an organic carbon reserve value equivalent to more than 64 million USD. This is a huge source of organic carbon storage, contributing to environmental regulation in the context of climate change.
Seagrasses are the only group of higher flowering plants that live in marine and brackish water environments. Seagrass ecosystems are important habitats for coastal aquatic organisms and play a major role in environmental regulation due to their ability to store large amounts of organic carbon.
According to research, the global organic carbon storage capacity of seagrass is about 19.9 billion tons, 2-3 times higher than that of evergreen forests per unit area. The carbon absorption rate is 35 times faster than that of tropical rainforests. Therefore, conserving and developing seagrass beds is considered a natural solution to support activities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
In order to determine the organic carbon reserves in typical seagrass beds in some coastal areas of Vietnam and propose solutions for effective management, exploitation and use, Dr. Cao Van Luong and colleagues at the Institute of Marine Resources and Environment, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have carried out the project "Research on determining the blue carbon reserves in seagrass beds in coastal areas of Vietnam".
The research team organized two surveys to assess the current status and changes of seagrass beds in four representative areas: Ha Dong (Quang Ninh), Cua Gianh (Quang Binh), Van Phong (Khanh Hoa) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), identifying 10 seagrass species distributed over a total area of 8,623.4 hectares.
 |
Seagrass ecosystem. Photo source: Vast.gov.vn. |
From there, scientists have built and updated 4 detailed distribution maps of seagrass beds in Ha Dong, Cua Gianh, Van Phong and Phu Quoc to the database of maps and distribution diagrams of seagrass beds in Vietnam.
In addition, through the synthesis and statistics of documents from 1996 to 2020, the research team determined that there are a total of 15 seagrass species, distributed over a total area of 21,885 hectares in all coastal islands of Vietnam, the furthest being the islands of the Truong Sa archipelago.
Dr. Luong and his colleagues calculated and valued the value of organic carbon reserves in seagrass beds in Vietnam equivalent to 3.2 million tons of CO2 or 3.2 million carbon credits, estimated to be worth about 64.4 million USD if traded on the market. This information is the scientific basis for Vietnam to prepare to participate in the regional and global carbon market.
Also from the research and statistical results, the research team has built a complete set of data and information on the number of species and distribution areas of 50 typical seagrass beds as well as the content and organic carbon reserves of seagrass beds in 4 key research areas, representing the coastal regions of the North, North Central, South Central and South.
This is an important set of data, with scientific value and practical significance, helping managers to formulate policies for the effective and sustainable exploitation and use of seagrass beds in coastal areas of Vietnam .
However, during the research process, scientists also found that the seagrass ecosystem in our country is showing a tendency to decline in terms of species composition, distribution area, coverage and health. Therefore, the research team proposed solutions for effective and sustainable management, use of seagrass ecosystems, and at the same time, develop and expand seagrass conservation areas.
Dr. Cao Van Luong, representative of the research team, said that the above results are initial successes. To have more accurate results on the seagrass ecosystem of Vietnam's seas, it is necessary to continue long-term monitoring, supervision, research, and evaluation of seagrass services in the future.
In addition, additional research on seagrass beds in offshore areas and islands such as some archipelagos in the Gulf of Thailand is needed. Finally, concrete actions are needed from management units, stakeholders and policy makers to enhance management and pay more attention to this important ecosystem.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/gia-tri-khong-lo-tu-he-sinh-thai-tham-co-bien-viet-nam-post1666992.tpo
Comment (0)