Blue carbon: How the coast can help us mitigate and adapt to climate change

Authors

Maija Gailis, Student Scientist and Deborah Carlson, Staff Lawyer

Publication

West Coast Environmental Law | February 2019

Summary

Blue carbon research in the Lower Mainland

West Coast environmental Law is collaborating with graduate student Maija Gailis in the Resource and Environmental Management program at Simon Fraser University. Her research will be providing new data on the carbon storage capacity of the salt marsh found in Boundary Bay, Delta, BC, to help organizations and governments make evidence-based policy decisions.

Research objectives are to:

1. Quantify the total carbon stocks and sequestration rates for the salt marsh found in Boundary Bay.

2. Use geographic information systems (GIS) to create a more detailed estimate of upper and lower marsh extent of the salt marsh found in Boundary Bay.

The Boundary Bay salt marsh in Delta, BC, is the largest salt marsh in the Lower Mainland. This salt marsh has already been recognized as an important ecosystem for its critical habitat, biodiversity, and recreational benefits. Due to the size of the marsh, it has the potential to be the most important blue carbon ecosystem in the region.

This data on the Boundary Bay salt marsh will provide policy-relevant carbon estimates for municipalities (Delta and Surrey) and the BC government. If carbon services can be accurately measured when assessing a coastal ecosystem, then these services may be introduced as an added benefit when decision-makers consider plans for managing or preserving the ecosystem.