34 Marine Macro- and Microalgae: An Overview
Section C: Application of monitoring methodology and monitoring plan
C.1 Title and reference for approved monitoring methodology applied to project activities
Title: Construction and Restoration of Seaweed A/R CDM Project
No currently approved (authorized) observation method was available for the artificial construction and
restoration of seaweed forests. Therefore, we presented a new observation method in this report.
C.2 Justification for the choice of methodology and its applicability to the project (Refer to B.1 )
The new method presented here included all of the factors concerning measuring, observing, and calculating
mean values. These factors were related to the exact estimation of net removal of anthropogenic GHG
by sink agents within marine substrates, where the environment was previously degraded and neglected.
To address the overall capability of researchers to perform these tasks, this report has covered
the scope of the project, description of the establishment of those forest facilities, and corresponding
operational activities. The task of checking feasibility within the set of scenarios adopted in the baseline
methodology was related to the duration of carbon-credit production in the next stage of development.
During the construction and restoration period of this project, some GHG were leaked in the course of
transporting workers, seaweed seedlings, and other goods not produced within the marine substrate.
Information was included that assured that the quality of the project contents was maintained and that the
control plan could be fully executed.
This report comprises our field surveys, verification of data collection, and data entry file storage. It
is part of the observational plan for ‘construction and restoration of seaweed forest CDM project using
seaweeds’, which integrated the collected data and guaranteed that this collection would be effective.
For the baseline, we recorded the net amount of GHG removed by the sink at hourly intervals.
Because environmental conditions were degraded at the project site, we concluded that the probability
was very low for natural recruitment of seaweed to occur in this marine substrate based on conditions
set by the testing methodology. If no seaweed vegetation was already present, then the amount of GHG
removed from the substrate was estimated to be zero, and would fluctuate within the upper and lower parts
of the ocean surface where seaweeds do exist. To maintain and execute these processes of observation in
the most cost-effective manner, we focused on measuring the amount of carbon that accumulates only in
the upper and lower layers of the water column. We assumed that other sink reservoirs were not likely to
remove more than the amount designated as the baseline value.
The observation method integrated local climate data, existing vegetation, geographical classification
of locations, seaweeds used for plantation, satellite images, soil maps, and project areas based on GPS
and field surveys. This approach used a permanent sampling configuration to observe the carbon sink in
the upper and lower layers of the water column. Configuration via GPS assured that measurements and
observations were consistent over time.
• The marine substrate was constructed with a forest that resulted from direct plantation of seaweeds
on the artificial attachment facility, as proposed by the “Seaweed A/R CDM Project”.
• Because the environment for this marine substrate had been seriously degraded over time by human
activity, and conditions were worsened by the addition of nutrients, it was necessary that we plant
seaweeds rather than relying on natural seeding or recruitment.
• In some parts of this project area, fish populations were widely distributed several years ago.
Currently, however, only a small number of fishermen are working there. They are not concerned
with the seaweed forest project being conducted there.
• If the use of natural seaweed spores had failed or the project was not successful because of other
environmental influences, the construction of natural seaweed forests could have been interrupted.
• Information was provided about the characteristics of each seaweed species, the length of time over
which they were to be grown, and the no-harvest policy that would be followed during the carboncredit period.
Section C: Application of monitoring methodology and monitoring plan
C.1 Title and reference for approved monitoring methodology applied to project activities
Title: Construction and Restoration of Seaweed A/R CDM Project
No currently approved (authorized) observation method was available for the artificial construction and
restoration of seaweed forests. Therefore, we presented a new observation method in this report.
C.2 Justification for the choice of methodology and its applicability to the project (Refer to B.1 )
The new method presented here included all of the factors concerning measuring, observing, and calculating
mean values. These factors were related to the exact estimation of net removal of anthropogenic GHG
by sink agents within marine substrates, where the environment was previously degraded and neglected.
To address the overall capability of researchers to perform these tasks, this report has covered
the scope of the project, description of the establishment of those forest facilities, and corresponding
operational activities. The task of checking feasibility within the set of scenarios adopted in the baseline
methodology was related to the duration of carbon-credit production in the next stage of development.
During the construction and restoration period of this project, some GHG were leaked in the course of
transporting workers, seaweed seedlings, and other goods not produced within the marine substrate.
Information was included that assured that the quality of the project contents was maintained and that the
control plan could be fully executed.
This report comprises our field surveys, verification of data collection, and data entry file storage. It
is part of the observational plan for ‘construction and restoration of seaweed forest CDM project using
seaweeds’, which integrated the collected data and guaranteed that this collection would be effective.
For the baseline, we recorded the net amount of GHG removed by the sink at hourly intervals.
Because environmental conditions were degraded at the project site, we concluded that the probability
was very low for natural recruitment of seaweed to occur in this marine substrate based on conditions
set by the testing methodology. If no seaweed vegetation was already present, then the amount of GHG
removed from the substrate was estimated to be zero, and would fluctuate within the upper and lower parts
of the ocean surface where seaweeds do exist. To maintain and execute these processes of observation in
the most cost-effective manner, we focused on measuring the amount of carbon that accumulates only in
the upper and lower layers of the water column. We assumed that other sink reservoirs were not likely to
remove more than the amount designated as the baseline value.
The observation method integrated local climate data, existing vegetation, geographical classification
of locations, seaweeds used for plantation, satellite images, soil maps, and project areas based on GPS
and field surveys. This approach used a permanent sampling configuration to observe the carbon sink in
the upper and lower layers of the water column. Configuration via GPS assured that measurements and
observations were consistent over time.
• The marine substrate was constructed with a forest that resulted from direct plantation of seaweeds
on the artificial attachment facility, as proposed by the “Seaweed A/R CDM Project”.
• Because the environment for this marine substrate had been seriously degraded over time by human
activity, and conditions were worsened by the addition of nutrients, it was necessary that we plant
seaweeds rather than relying on natural seeding or recruitment.
• In some parts of this project area, fish populations were widely distributed several years ago.
Currently, however, only a small number of fishermen are working there. They are not concerned
with the seaweed forest project being conducted there.
• If the use of natural seaweed spores had failed or the project was not successful because of other
environmental influences, the construction of natural seaweed forests could have been interrupted.
• Information was provided about the characteristics of each seaweed species, the length of time over
which they were to be grown, and the no-harvest policy that would be followed during the carboncredit period.