Laffoley, D.

This publication provides a much needed and timely tool to assist in the collective effort to find new and better solutions to address the various threats to the marine biological diversity and productivity. It provides evidence-based recommendations on improving and accelerating actions on delivering ocean protection and management through marine protected areas and facilitates the sharing of experiences and lessons learned.

Toutefois, le nombre d'aires marines protégées (AMPs) étant bien inférieur à celui des aires protégées terrestres, le manque d'expérience complexifie le processus d'application des catégories aux AMP. L'application des catégories aux AMP a souvent été inexacte et contradictoire.

Sin embargo, con el menor número de áreas protegidas marinas (AMPs) en comparación con las áreas protegidas terrestres, hay menos experiencia y comprensión de la aplicación de las categorías a las AMPs. La aplicación de las categorías a las AMPs ha sido a menudo imprecisa e inconsistente.

With the smaller number of marine protected areas (MPAs) compared with terrestrial protected areas, there is less experience and understanding of applying the categories to MPAs. Application of the categories to MPAs has often been inaccurate and inconsistent.

Development and implementation of blue carbon-based activities now requires strategic policy and incentive mechanisms to achieve coastal conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and provide disincentives to drain or damage coastal systems. A first effort to develop such a strategic program was set out in the first edition of the Blue Carbon Policy Framework. Based on additional information and current progress a revised Blue Carbon Policy Framework 2.0 has now been developed.

Development and implementation of blue carbon-based activities now requires strategic policy and incentive mechanisms for coastal conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and and disincentives to drain or damage coastal systems. Currently no broad, strategic program exists to achieve this.

This summary is based on Crooks, S., Herr, D., Laffoley, D., Tamelander, J. and Vandever, J. 2010. “New Opportunities to Regulate Climate Change through Restoration and Management of Coastal Wetlands and Marine Ecosystems.” World Bank, IUCN, ESA PWA (renamed "Mitigating climate change through restoration and management of coastal wetlands and near-shore marine ecosystems: challenges and opportunities" upon publication in 2011).

This report builds on these and other efforts to bring to light the important carbon sequestration potential of coastal wetlands, and the significant and largely unaccounted for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the disturbance, drainage, and conversion of these natural coastal carbon sinks for agriculture, tourism and other coastal development.

This guide answers key questions about ocean acidification and discusses the degree of certainty of the international scientific community about what is already happening to the ocean, what the future may hold for the ocean in a high carbon dioxide (CO2) world, and the possible consequences of ocean acidification. The guide provides the latest science on the speed and scale of impact that CO2 emissions will have on the ocean and on humanity.