Dr. Jani Tanzil
Facility Director, St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory
Dr. Jani Tanzil is a marine ecologist known for her research on corals and marine ecosystem dynamics. Focusing on understanding the marine environment and coral responses to climate and environmental challenges, she hopes her work will improve strategies for environmental assessments, resource management policies, and ecosystem recovery. She holds an MSc in Tropical Coastal Management from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a PhD in Computational Science from the University of Amsterdam which involved using coral "bands" to reconstruct historical coral growth rates in Southeast Asia. Currently, she serves as Facility Director of the St. John's Island National Marine Laboratory and is a Senior Research Fellow at NUS’ Tropical Marine Science Institute. Additionally in Singapore, she leads the Marine Environment Sensing Network project as well as a reef restoration research project.
Panel Discussion – Blue Carbon: Challenges and Opportunities
Blue Carbon is gaining traction in carbon credit development, shifting from the traditional focus on generating "green" credits from land-based ecosystems like forests. The "Challenges of Implementing Blue Carbon Market" panel explores barriers in expanding blue carbon projects amid rising global interest and costly accreditation processes and soil carbon oversight that hinder progress.
DHI's advanced ecosystem carbon model offers potential solutions. Their advanced carbon sequestration model, powered by MIKE Powered by DHI software, offers precise site-specific insights into carbon storage capabilities. These innovative models have the potential to transform the accreditation of blue carbon, potentially altering our approach to climate change mitigation.
A central theme of the discussion will be the often-overlooked role of coral reefs in carbon balance. Coral reefs' role in carbon balances and their interconnectedness with ecosystems like seagrass meadows will be discussed, emphasizing conservation's importance.
The challenges are substantial, with declining coral reefs and urgent greenhouse gas reduction needs. Active interventions and ecosystem preservation are essential, recognizing marine ecosystems as more than carbon storage but also contributors to biodiversity, coastal protection, and socio-economic activities. The panel seeks to illuminate these challenges and guide climate change mitigation efforts.
