IUCN United States

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.

The expansion of international trade and air travel has led to an increase in human-mediated biological invasion, enabling invasive species to travel faster and over longer distances than before. Invasive species undermine human health, security and economic development. This report represents the preliminary steps in the triage and identification of pathways of high risk in the Caribbean.

The growing pace of international commerce has created an increased risk of invasion by alien species, which often take root and thrive in their new environment, often at great costs for the local biota and economy. The risk of introduction of harmful organisms into the United States is increasing exponentially, with costs to the American economy measured in hundreds of billions of dollars.