Blue carbon ecosystems in Sri Lanka: A review

Abstract

Sri Lanka's extensive 1740-km shoreline boasts a wealth of carbon-sequestering marine habitats, encompassing coastal forests, underwater meadows, and tidal wetlands. This review paper discussed the current status, recent changes, and future potential of the trio of carbon-rich coastal habitats in Sri Lanka. As with other countries in South Asia, including India and Bangladesh, mangrove research in Sri Lanka has advanced well, and regional-scale quantitative analyses of mangrove distribution, biomass, and carbon stocks have been conducted in many coastal areas of Sri Lanka. However, studies on seagrass meadows and saltmarshes are limited to a few sites and the objectives of these studies were mostly restricted to species diversity and distribution. This study analysis focuses on Sri Lankan studies related to mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass, and blue carbon ecosystems. Economic analysis of blue carbon ecosystems, and country-level quantification of carbon stocks in mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and saltmarshes are yet to be conducted in the country. Moreover, most of the blue carbon ecosystems in Sri Lanka are in degraded conditions or under threat. Therefore, it is essential to enhance knowledge about carbon-sequestering coastal habitats within the nation and develop effective preservation and rehabilitation strategies, to guarantee responsible stewardship of Sri Lanka's shorelines. While there is some very good data available insufficient attention has been given to studying seagrasses and saltmarshes in Sri Lanka, despite their ecological value.