VALUATION (Valuing Blue Carbon in Scotland's Marine Protected Area Network)

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Subtidal and intertidal marine habitats and their associated carbon sinks are increasingly recognised as important ecosystems for global climate regulation through the sequestration and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). These stores of Blue Carbon (BC) are an important but largely overlooked component of any nation's natural capital (natural assets which underpin the economy). The importance of these habitats to both climate regulation and economic growth means they must be protected and managed in the future. Yet generally, there are a deficit of management options especially for subtidal habitats, largely due to the lack of a decision support tool capable of impartially assessing BC sequestration in different ecosystems and evaluating the threats to that BC sink.Scotland currently has a marine protected area (MPA) network covering ~20% of its territorial waters, though not specifically designated for BC resources these MPA's are important sites for BC burial and climate regulation as highlight by research commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The large MPA network combined with one of the best BC datasets globally available makes Scotland one of the best places to develop a decision support tool to assist in the management and preservation of the BC in MPA's. Economic valuation techniques provided a methodological approach to compare the monetary value of the C sequestration service the different habitats provide. This will highlight the most valuable habitat/MPA for BC sequestration, allowing targeted cost effective management to priority areas. In addition, this approach allows a comparison of the value of the BC to the value of industries which may threaten the MPA and BC resources, such as bottom trawling. Through using economics to assess the BC in MPA's we will provided data to assist in achieving the statutory responsibility for C accounting set out by the UK Climate Change Act and support the incorporation of BC natural capital into the UK Environmental Accounts by 2020.