Threats
The key threats to and pressures on biological and geological blue carbon stores are those associated with:
Physical disturbance to habitats arising from:
Fishing activities (e.g. bottom trawling, dredging, deployment of moorings)
Recreational boating and shipping (e.g. anchors)
Installation of infrastructure (e.g. installation of renewable energy platforms, cable laying)
Aquaculture (e.g. Mechanical harvesting)
Changes in land management and land-use change
Coastal land-use change and reclamation for development activities (infrastructure, industrial, recreational, agriculture, and tourism)
Groundwater drainage
Human developments (e.g. flood defences which prevent coastal habitats from migrating landward as sea level rises)
Pollution
Climate change, which is associated with a range of environmental changes, including:
Ocean Acidification (decrease in ocean pH)
Ocean warming
Deoxygenation (a loss of oxygen from the ocean)
Sea-level rise
Increased storminess (increased wave energy).