Spatio-temporal evolutionary characteristics of carbon emissions and carbon sinks of marine industry in China and their time-dependent models

Altering the marine industry economic development model has helped achieve low-carbon development goals for comparative research on the spatio-temporal evolutionary characteristics of carbon emissions and carbon sinks. The carbon emissions and existing carbon sinks resulting from the marine industry in ten coastal provinces (cities) in China over the period from 2008 to 2019 were quantitatively determined, and their spatio-temporal evolutionary characteristics were analysed from the national and provincial perspectives. Additionally, timedependent models of the national and provincial carbon emissions and carbon sinks were constructed. The results showed that: 1) carbon emissions and carbon sinks of the marine industry in China increased annually from 2008 to 2019, and the growth rate of carbon emissions was higher than that of carbon sinks. 2) Direct, indirect and total carbon emissions, as well as shellfish, algae and total carbon sinks of the marine industry in China all conform with time to the power function leading to the estimation that total carbon emissions and carbon sinks of the Chinese marine industry will peak in 2021 and 2022, respectively. 3) The carbon emissions and sinks in different provinces (cities) were affected by multiple factors according to their time-dependent models. These findings could provide a reference for accelerating energy conservation and emission reduction within fisheries, while also improving the ecological functioning of their carbon sinks. Meanwhile, the role of marine policy in the development of the marine industry in China's coastal regions has also been clarified.

Automated summary

The study shows that from 2008 to 2019, carbon emissions and carbon sinks of the marine industry in China increased annually, with the growth rate of carbon emissions higher than that of carbon sinks. Different provinces (cities) showed varying levels of carbon emissions and sinks based on their time-dependent models.