title: Valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services: a useful way to manage and conserve marine resources?
abstract: Valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) is widely recognized as a useful, though often controversial, approach to conservation and management. However, its use in the marine environment, hence evidence of its efficacy, lags behind that in terrestrial ecosystems. This largely reflects key challenges to marine conservation and management such as the practical difficulties in studying the ocean, complex governance issues and the historically-rooted separation of biodiversity conservation and resource management. Given these challenges together with the accelerating loss of marine biodiversity (and threats to the ES that this biodiversity supports), we ask whether valuation efforts for marine ecosystems are appropriate and effective. We compare three contrasting systems: the tropical Pacific, Southern Ocean and UK coastal seas. In doing so, we reveal a diversity in valuation approaches with different rates of progress and success. We also find a tendency to focus on specific ES (often the harvested species) rather than biodiversity. In light of our findings, we present a new conceptual view of valuation that should ideally be considered in decision-making. Accounting for the critical relationships between biodiversity and ES, together with an understanding of ecosystem structure and functioning, will enable the wider implications of marine conservation and management decisions to be evaluated. We recommend embedding valuation within existing management structures, rather than treating it as an alternative or additional mechanism. However, we caution that its uptake and efficacy will be compromised without the ability to develop and share best practice across regions.
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK rcav@bas.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rachel D
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2474-9716
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.affiliation: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Broszeit
authors.affiliation: The Pacific Community (SPC), B.P. D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Graham M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pilling
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Susie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Eugene J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7369-9196
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
authors.forename: Melanie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Austen
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D009792:Oceans and Seas
keywords: conservation; ecosystem services; ecosystem-based management; marine biodiversity; marine resource management; valuation