book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium-5e55083e78e8c240.pdf

This document is a book of abstracts from the Science and Research Symposium, a segment of the first-ever Global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference (SBEC) held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 26th to 28th, 2018. It compiles nearly seventy abstracts submitted by global scholars and practitioners, focusing on the role of scientific research, technology, and innovation in harnessing the Blue Economy sustainably. The abstracts are organized into thematic areas including sustainable resource use, climate action resilience, global connectivity and transportation, and sustainable cities, with an additional focus on human resource capacity.

• The Global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference (SBEC) 2018 identified four primary thematic areas for the Science and Research Symposium: sustainable use of resources (minerals, gas/oil, fisheries), climate action resilience (waste management, ecosystem conservation), global connectivity and transportation (shipping, maritime security), and Blue Economy and sustainable cities (tourism, infrastructure).
• In Kenya, the aquaculture sector has seen significant growth due to the National Aquaculture Development Strategy and an Economic Stimulus Program costing over 80 million US dollars, which increased production from 4,000 MT in 2008 to over 22,000 MT in 2014, although production dropped to 15,000 MT by 2016.
• Cage culture in Lake Victoria on the Kenyan side has expanded rapidly since 2012, reaching 3,696 cages across five riparian counties with an estimated production capacity of 3,180 MT valued at 9.6 million USD (Kshs 955.4 Million). This sector has created over 500 direct jobs and income opportunities for over 4,000 people.
• Research using the RV Mtafiti indicates that Kenya's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) contains a total of 240,000 mt of fish valued at 600 million USD (KES 60 billion), with an annually exploitable stock estimated at KES 15 billion based on a 25% exploitation rate.
• Ocean acidification poses significant economic risks to the United Kingdom's shellfish fisheries and aquaculture, which contribute over £400 million annually. Potential direct annual economic losses are estimated between £3 billion and £6 billion of the UK's GDP in 2013 for medium and high emission scenarios.
• International shipping has a target to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2050, but this may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals. Model-based assessments suggest that a reduction of 82–95% in CO2 emissions could be possible by 2035 using available technologies.
• The 'Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone' strategy in China was found to have a negative 'green contribution' because it ignored energy conservation and emission reduction goals, failing to optimize energy consumption structures or promote green manufacturing.
• Seaweed forests are identified as highly efficient carbon sinks, with the capacity to capture carbon up to five times faster than land plants. A kelp forest covering just 0.03 percent of the global coastline (5,000 square kilometers) could capture carbon equivalent to a tropical forest the size of Belgium.
• In the Caribbean, seabed habitat mapping revealed up to 800% more seagrass beds than previously known. The value of organic carbon sequestration and storage in these meadows was demonstrated to be between £49,428 and £664,785 in the baseline year, potentially increasing to over £4 million over 50 years.
• The Kenya Coastal Development Project (KCDP), funded by the World Bank, Global Environmental Facility, and International Development Authority, utilized multi-sectoral linkages across seven government institutions and six coastal counties to reach over 350,000 beneficiaries.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium-5e55083e78e8c240.pdf. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium-5e55083e78e8c240.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium-5e55083e78e8c240.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendbookofabstractsthescienceandresearchsymposium5e55083e78e8c240pdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium-5e55083e78e8c240.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/book-of-abstracts-the-science-and-research-symposium.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }