Seychelles Blue Carbon
Background
Seychelles, classed by the United Nations as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), has a total landmass of 459 km2 and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1.35 million km2. Seychelles’ residents rely heavily on marine tourism and fishing revenue, however coastal wetlands have declined dramatically as a result of coastal development, and face added pressures with future sea level rise, increased storm surge, and salt water inundation.
Conservation Finance
Seychelles has used the world’s first “debt for nature swap” and “blue bond” to support the conservation of its marine ecosystems.
Protection
Seychelles have
pledged to protect
at least 50%
of its seagrasses
and mangroves
by 2025.
Extent
Blue carbon ecosystems in Seychelles cover over two million hectares.
Seagrass
Seagrass beds account for 99% of the blue carbon extent in Seychelles.
Mangroves
Mangrove forests occur in 2,500 ha, with more than 80% of them located within the Aldabra Atoll.
Carbon stock
Seychelles’ blue carbon ecosystems hold over 250 million tonnes of organic carbon, equivalent to 920 million tonnes of CO2e.
Blue Carbon Opportunities
In partnership with the James Michel Foundation, the Blue Carbon Lab developed a “Roadmap to Blue Carbon opportunities in the Seychelles” funded by a 2-year Blue Grant from SeyCCAT. This project explored Seychelles’ Blue Carbon future, by developing a first-pass assessment of potential Blue Carbon opportunities in Seychelles and building local capacity on Blue Carbon through a technical workshop. Accounting for the ocean’s carbon offsetting capacity can help Seychelles remain a net carbon sink and achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Mangrove Assessment
Blue Carbon Lab is leading a field-based blue carbon assessment for mangrove systems in the inner granitic islands and Aldabra/Cosmoledo Atolls of Seychelles to derive and analyse local-scale field data on above-ground biomass and soil organic carbon. Initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (MEECC) with financing from Third South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Project (SWIOFish3) the results of this assessment will support the inclusion of mangrove ecosystems into Seychelles’ NDCs for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Storymap
Submerge yourself into Seychelles’ mangrove forests and seagrass meadows through this interactive Storymap. Designed to raise awareness on the importance of blue carbon for climate mitigation, this is a great resource to explore Seychelles’ blue carbon opportunities and explore local initiatives advancing blue carbon science and raising community awareness.
Project outcomes
Literature review: Blue Carbon Research in the Tropical Western Indian Ocean
The research identified 131 studies examining the biomass or carbon stored in the Western Indian Ocean’s (WIO) mangroves and seagrass beds. Of these, 101 contained unique datasets, which were used in the study, 82 were based on mangrove ecosystems and 49 explored seagrass meadows, despite their higher distribution extent. This is likely to be because of mangrove’s higher carbon storage potential and easier access to sites and sampling. Almost half of the studies were published in the last 10 years, showing an increase in blue carbon research interest. Most studies were conducted along the mainland East African coast and only 4 in the Seychelles: 1 on mangroves, 3 on seagrass meadows. The main conclusions from the report:
This literature review highlighted the tropical WIO is a blue carbon hotspot with significant carbon stocks being stored in its diverse and extensive coastal ecosystems. However, it also revealed that despite the increasing regional interest on blue carbon research, there are still major knowledge gaps to be addressed.
The key research gaps include: (1) the lack of blue carbon datasets from seagrass ecosystems, specifically habitat distribution and belowground plant measures; (2) little information on soil carbon stocks on mangrove and seagrass ecosystems (particularly along deep soil profiles); and (3) a significant lack of soil accretion rates (only 3 studies).
Most blue carbon datasets have been collected in the mainland coast of East Africa, leaving a major geographical gap in Small Island Developing States such as Seychelles. With only 4 relevant studies identified within the Seychelles archipelago, there is an urgent need for blue carbon research in the country.
Stakeholder Questionnaire: Blue Carbon Context in Seychelles
This report depicts the results of a stakeholder questionnaire intended to solicit local knowledge on the current social, political, ecological and scientific context of blue carbon ecosystems in Seychelles (i.e., mangrove forests and seagrass meadows). To achieve this, the questionnaire was distributed among stakeholders working in close connection to Seychelles’ coastal ecosystems. In total, 103 stakeholders from 56 organisations responded the questionnaire. Our analysis of the questionnaire identified key points about the local attitudes, knowledge, and frameworks around Seychelles’ coastal ecosystems.
Roadmap: Seychelles’ Blue Carbon Roadmap
Seychelles’ Blue Carbon Roadmap sets a long-term path to establish a nation-wide, evidence-based program geared towards the protection and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Developed by BCL in collaboration with James Michel Foundation, the Roadmap proposes a series of social, scientific, governance, and financial actions that should be implemented over the next years.
Selected Media and Outreach
- First Blue Carbon study for Seychelles, Seychelles Nation
- Roadmap to Blue Carbon opportunities in the Seychelles, SeyCCAT
- Seychelles Blue Carbon Journey, SeyCCAT
- New Grant: Seychelles’ Roadmap to Blue Carbon Opportunities, BCL
- How much blue carbon does Seychelles have? Local experts work on monitoring and awareness, Seychelles News Agency
- Roadmap to blue carbon opportunities in Seychelles, Seychelles Nation
Funding & Program Partners
This work has been led by Deakin University’s Blue Carbon Lab, funded by SeyCCAT (Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust) and done in collaboration with the James Michel Foundation.
