Socio-economics

The marine environment contributes a tremendous amount to the social and economic prosperity of society. Not only does it provide direct benefits, such as food, recreation and raw materials, but also indirect benefits, such as nutrient cycling, climate regulation, cultural heritage and identity. Socio-economic analysis is an area of research that evaluates the drivers behind previous, current and future patterns of resource use as well as valuing the environmental impact of this use.

 

PML has been applying socio-economic analysis for the last decade and employs a team of dedicated environmental economists to work alongside natural scientists. This enables an interdisciplinary approach to developing appropriate strategic or political solutions to environmental challenges, which invariably involve a range of stakeholders with diverse needs. Also by understanding the socio-economic research of the ocean, environmental concerns can be integrated more fully into the decision making processes and trade-offs between economic, social and environmental objectives can be appreciated.

 

Specific expertise and skills

  • Integration of natural and social science, including the application of the goods and services approach
  • Bioeconomic modelling, including fisheries
  • Fisheries management: ecological, modelling and socio-economic aspects
  • Marine ecosystem valuation
  • Organisation and facilitation of stakeholder consultation through focus groups and workshops
  • Multi Criteria Analysis
  • Design and distribution of questionnaire surveys
  • Statistical and econometric analysis
  • Development of decision support systems
  • Graphic generation

Projects

VECTORS aims to improve our understanding of how environmental and man made factors are impacting marine ecosystems now and how they will do so in the future. The project will also examine how these changes will affect the range of goods and services provided by the oceans, the ensuing socio-economic impacts and some of the measures that could be developed to mitigate or adapt to these changes.

 

  • Economic Analysis of the National Ecosystem Analysis - marine and coastal margins 

To value changes in the goods and services provided by the marine environment, within the context of the National Ecosystem Assessment. PML led the economic analysis of the UK marine and coastal margins and this analysis was unique in investigating how values changed over time, providing a hind cast (1945-2010) and where possible a forecast (-2060). PML are also developing tools for the valuation of ecosystem services obtained from Plymouth Sound under scenarios of climate and demographic change.

 

  • Socio economic consequences relating to ocean acidification at ecosystem level

This project, conducted between the Centre of Sustainable Aquaculture Research (Swansea), Exeter and Strathclyde universities and PML, will address the major challenges of addressing the impacts of ocean acidification on fisheries using a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach.