Protecting ocean carbon through biodiversity and climate governance

Abstract

Global policy goals for halting biodiversity loss and climate change depend on each other to be successful. Marine biodiversity and climate change are intertwined through foodwebs that cycle and transport carbon and contribute to carbon sequestration. Yet, biodiversity conservation and fisheries management seldom explicitly include ocean carbon transport and sequestration. In order to effectively manage and govern human activities that affect carbon cycling and sequestration, international biodiversity and climate agreements need to address both biodiversity and climate issues. International agreements that address issues for climate and biodiversity are best poised to facilitate the protection of ocean carbon with existing policies. The degree to which the main international biodiversity and climate agreements make reference to multiple issues has however not been documented. Here, we used a text mining analysis of over 2,700 binding and non-binding policy documents from ten global ocean-related agreements to identify keywords related to biodiversity, climate, and ocean carbon. While climate references were mostly siloed within climate agreements, biodiversity references were included in most agreements. Further, we found that six percent of policy documents (n=166) included ocean carbon keywords. In light of our results, we highlight opportunities to strengthen the protection of ocean carbon in upcoming negotiations of international agreements, and via area-based management, environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment.

A risk assessment for the remote ocean: the case of the South East Atlantic

“…With all benefits, excluding that of abiotic asset extraction (via DSM), affected by multiple pressure pathways the case for an integrated strategic approach that considers connections between the system is strengthened (Elsler et al, 2022). A crucial element of this strategic approach is robust cumulative assessment including comprehensive and appropriate stakeholder engagement.…”

“…Climate governance centres around the reduction of carbon emissions and the agreed aim of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of preventing "dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system" (UNFCCC, 2015; UNFCCC, 2021b) where the system is considered to include the ocean (Morgera et al, 2023a). Despite explicit reference in commitments outlined in the UNFCCC the international climate regime is limited in its consideration of the ocean (Elsler et al, 2022;Morgera et al, 2023a). Ocean environments are formally recognised in the Preamble to both the Paris Agreement (UNFCCC, 2015) and the Glasgow Climate Pact (Lennan and Morgera, 2022) the latter of which casts marine ecosystems (among other natural systems) as sinks of greenhouse gases that require protection, conservation and restoration (UNFCCC, 2021a).…”

Deep sea nature-based solutions to climate change

“…In addition, development and technological plans are advanced to protect the deep sea. While many of these treaties refer to climate change, they rarely focus on blue carbon and the possibility of mitigating climate change while protecting biodiversity (Elsler et al, 2022).…”

“…Moreover, this system might reduce overcapacity when more efficient ITQ holders buy out the less efficient ones (Hannesson, 2004). In sum, the governance of the deep sea provides opportunities to mitigate climate change, but the highly sectoral nature of international agreements has limited the embrace of climate in many conventions outside the UNFCCC (Elsler et al, 2022). A key to protection of deep ocean ecosystem services will be capacity development in the arenas of deepsea scientific research and monitoring, representation of youth, the poor, indigenous voices and a voice for wildlife, widespread deep-ocean literacy, and more integrative governance of deep water across sectors.…”

Growth and natural mortality of Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

“…John et al, 2016;Prellezo, 2019;Alvheim et al, 2020;Grimaldo et al, 2020;Olsen et al, 2020;Paoletti et al, 2021). While the potential for exploitation and the economic viability are already being investigated, the ecological sustainability of a potential mesopelagic fishery remains uncertain (Hidalgo and Browman, 2019;Prellezo, 2019;Paoletti et al, 2021;Dowd et al, 2022;Elsler et al, 2022;Kourantidou and Jin, 2022;van der Meer et al, 2023). Nonetheless, potential management strategies should aim for exploitation according to the stock-specific maximum sustainable yield following a precautionary and ecosystem-based approach (UN, 1982;FAO, 1995;UN, 1995;UN, 2002).…”