Importance of Seaweed in the Climate Change—Seaweed Solution 25
Establishment and maintenance of CCRB with artificial seaweed communities
To develop a seaweed A/R (afforestation/reforestation) CDM PDD, we established and maintained a pilot
CCRB farm during the second phase of the project period. The concept promoted the removal of CO 2
via marine vegetation when sites were populated with the perennial brown alga Ecklonia. Our farm drew
down approximately 10 tons of CO 2 ha
–1
yr
–1
. This success was manifested as an increment in biomass
accumulations and a decrease in the amount of dissolved inorganic carbon in the water column (Chung
et al. 2013).
Development of components for a seaweed A/R CDM PDD application
Project Algae and Global Warming (AGW) utilizes innovative research on seaweed biology and
ecology to establish a new baseline and to monitor methodologies with the goal of creating international
consensus that seaweed should be recognized as a GHG sink. Bench-marking of forests and CDM-A/R
on land is a good starting point. From this, a CCRB and Coast Use Coast-Use Change and Aquatic
Vegetation (tentative abbreviation: CUCUCAV) can then be developed. Paradigms and concepts can also
be provided for these new CDM methodologies, with respect to both lifespan and scale.
In the beginning, baseline data must be gathered in order to devise a protocol. As presented in
guidelines by the UNFCCC, certain information are required for the PDD, including the following:
• General description of the proposed project activity
• Application of a baseline methodology
• Description and plan for a monitoring methodology
• Declaration of the duration for project activities/crediting
• Estimations of the net anthropogenic GHG removals by sinks and GHG emissions by sources
• Environmental and socio-economic impacts of the proposed A/R CDM project activity
• Stakeholders’ comments
The required content differs slightly between regular- and small-scale projects. For example,
our seaweed A/R CDM project was to be conducted on a small scale because seaweeds were not yet
recognized as a carbon sink. Therefore, we submitted a form for a Simplified Project Design Document for
Small-Scale project activities (CDM-SSC-PDD) that would describe our new small scale methodologies
(F-CDM-SSC-NM) in order to be validated and registered (http://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/SSCAR/
index.html). As of December 2012, only seven small-scale A/R methodologies have been approved
(http://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/SSCAR/approved).
A draft version of seaweed CDM-AR-PDD
Section A: General description of the seaweed CDM project activity
A.1 Title of the proposed seaweed CDM project
Title: Seaweed A/R CDM Project (Seaweed CO 2 Sink Farm Project)
Version of the document: Draft
Date of the document: December 2012 (prepared in 2011)
A.2 Description of activities in the seaweed CDM project
We established a 0.5-ha farm for perennial brown seaweed in the coastal waters of Korea to develop a
new method for an A/R CDM PDD. Activities included removing CO 2 from the seawater and storing it,
via photosynthesis, in carbon pools within the project boundary. Carbon was to be sequestered within this
ocean farm, where plants of perennial seaweed species would serve as a CO 2 sink.
Background: The pilot project was supported by the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, formerly
the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MOMAF). It was managed by the Marine Research Institute
Establishment and maintenance of CCRB with artificial seaweed communities
To develop a seaweed A/R (afforestation/reforestation) CDM PDD, we established and maintained a pilot
CCRB farm during the second phase of the project period. The concept promoted the removal of CO 2
via marine vegetation when sites were populated with the perennial brown alga Ecklonia. Our farm drew
down approximately 10 tons of CO 2 ha
–1
yr
–1
. This success was manifested as an increment in biomass
accumulations and a decrease in the amount of dissolved inorganic carbon in the water column (Chung
et al. 2013).
Development of components for a seaweed A/R CDM PDD application
Project Algae and Global Warming (AGW) utilizes innovative research on seaweed biology and
ecology to establish a new baseline and to monitor methodologies with the goal of creating international
consensus that seaweed should be recognized as a GHG sink. Bench-marking of forests and CDM-A/R
on land is a good starting point. From this, a CCRB and Coast Use Coast-Use Change and Aquatic
Vegetation (tentative abbreviation: CUCUCAV) can then be developed. Paradigms and concepts can also
be provided for these new CDM methodologies, with respect to both lifespan and scale.
In the beginning, baseline data must be gathered in order to devise a protocol. As presented in
guidelines by the UNFCCC, certain information are required for the PDD, including the following:
• General description of the proposed project activity
• Application of a baseline methodology
• Description and plan for a monitoring methodology
• Declaration of the duration for project activities/crediting
• Estimations of the net anthropogenic GHG removals by sinks and GHG emissions by sources
• Environmental and socio-economic impacts of the proposed A/R CDM project activity
• Stakeholders’ comments
The required content differs slightly between regular- and small-scale projects. For example,
our seaweed A/R CDM project was to be conducted on a small scale because seaweeds were not yet
recognized as a carbon sink. Therefore, we submitted a form for a Simplified Project Design Document for
Small-Scale project activities (CDM-SSC-PDD) that would describe our new small scale methodologies
(F-CDM-SSC-NM) in order to be validated and registered (http://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/SSCAR/
index.html). As of December 2012, only seven small-scale A/R methodologies have been approved
(http://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/SSCAR/approved).
A draft version of seaweed CDM-AR-PDD
Section A: General description of the seaweed CDM project activity
A.1 Title of the proposed seaweed CDM project
Title: Seaweed A/R CDM Project (Seaweed CO 2 Sink Farm Project)
Version of the document: Draft
Date of the document: December 2012 (prepared in 2011)
A.2 Description of activities in the seaweed CDM project
We established a 0.5-ha farm for perennial brown seaweed in the coastal waters of Korea to develop a
new method for an A/R CDM PDD. Activities included removing CO 2 from the seawater and storing it,
via photosynthesis, in carbon pools within the project boundary. Carbon was to be sequestered within this
ocean farm, where plants of perennial seaweed species would serve as a CO 2 sink.
Background: The pilot project was supported by the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, formerly
the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MOMAF). It was managed by the Marine Research Institute