Climate Action Coastlines aim is to increase understanding of coastal ecosystem management, restoration, and habitat creation, resulting in solutions to increased coastal erosion and flooding. The funding gave access to new equipment to assess carbon stocks on coastal wetlands, including using a new portable analyser of greenhouse gas emissions. Access to the equipment has enabled reporting on soil carbon and greenhouse gas flux from the RSPB Nigg Bay coastal realignment site. It has also allowed monitoring of wetland gradient on the saltmarsh at Loch Fleet, Dornoch which has resulted in important data being fed into a more accurate national picture of carbon stocks.
The resulting final publication will explain the science behind the importance of soil organic carbon stocks in Scottish sand dune habitats, highlighting the need for their improved management and protection.
In 2022/23 SMEEF was able to provide total grants of £70,798 to support this work using resources from the Nature Restoration Fund.