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In a major report published today (17 Nov 2009) scientists have sounded the alarm over the threats faced by coastal marine ecosystems - such as tidal salt marshes, seagrass meadows, kelp forests and mangroves – which are key tools in combating climate change. Part-funded by Natural England, the Lighthouse Foundation and the UNEP, the IUCN report ‘The Management of Natural Coastal Carbon Sinks’ looks at a range of global options for carbon management around the world’s coastlines.

Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said: “The role of forests and peatlands in helping to prevent carbon entering the atmosphere is widely recognised, but it is crucial not to overlook our coastal habitats, which can have just as much impact in helping limit climate change. Many of these coastal habitats, like tidal salt marshes, are under significant threat from development and rising sea levels, and urgent action is needed to prevent further damage to their essential carbon storage role. Natural England welcomes this compelling and timely research from the IUCN, which provides vital information on how these coastal carbon sinks work and why it is so important to preserve them."

The report highlights the wide-ranging benefits that coastal habitats provide and also the increasing threats that they face. For example, the loss of two-thirds of seagrass meadows and 50 per cent of mangrove forests due to human activities has severely threatened their carbon storage capacity and is comparable to the annual decline in the Amazon forests.

Natural England’s Professor Dan Laffoley, lead author of the report and also Marine Vice-Chair of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, said: “Over the past two years we have worked with a range of leading scientists to document the carbon management potential of particular marine ecosystems and understand how they can be successfully managed. Until now, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the ocean and its habitats, despite the fact that they form a critical part of the carbon cycle and one of the largest sinks of carbon on the planet. We cannot afford to ignore their potential.”

A PDF of the IUCN’s 64-page report is available on all of the partners’ web sites.

Notes to Editors:

1. The IUCN’s report is called “The Management of Natural Coastal Carbon Sinks ”  edited by Dan Laffoley and Gabriel Grimsditch.

It is part-funded by Natural England, the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), the Lighthouse Foundation and the UNEP.

It is launched today (17 November 2009) at the ‘Climate Change and Protected Areas’ summit in Granada, Spain.

2. About Natural England Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.

• We establish and care for England’s main wildlife sites, ensuring that over 3,500 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.

• We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.

• We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.

• We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats. We have recently committed £6m to develop wetland areas and have detailed biodiversity action plans covering 75% of England’s species

• We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.

For more information contact:
Michelle Hawkins, press officer, 0300 060 1109 / michelle.hawkins@naturalengland.org.uk

3. About IUCN

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the word find pragmatic solution to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

For more information contact:
Borjana Pervan, IUCN media relations officer, +41 22 999 0115 / borjana.pervan@iucn.org

Visit the IUCN website for more information.