Valuing the marine environment

The marine environment provides us with a multitude of benefits and services which contribute to human wellbeing in many ways. These services to human society include provision of food, raw materials for pharmaceuticals and opportunities for recreation. Furthermore, marine ecosystems have a role in maintaining our climate, transforming waste products and preventing coastal erosion. Not all of these services have an inherent monetary value, but assigning an economic value can help to increase efficiency of marine decision-making processes and make the trade-offs between different uses and protection of the marine environment more apparent.

PML scientists are at the forefront of developing techniques to quantify the value of benefits and services provided by the marine environment and are developing tools to understand the risks and trade-offs of developing the blue economy. This requires an interdisciplinary approach utilising our expertise in a wide range of fields from economics and social science to ecology and computer modelling.

Making a difference

Ecosystem Services Valuation for Coastal ManagersOur research is used by policy makers and environmental managers worldwide in developing marine management strategies, to ensure sustainable use of the marine environment and responsible ocean stewardship.

We have contributed to several high profile studies including the UK National Ecosystem Assessment and have participated in several projects which conducted ecosystem service valuations.

We are committed to sharing this knowledge and approach and recently led a workshop on Ecosystem Service Valuation for Coastal Managers which formed the basis of a guide to support the integration of ecosystem services into the management of coastal areas.

Further information

Current research topics include:

Air-sea gas exchange Aquaculture Biodiversity Capacity development Carbon and nutrient cycles Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Earth Observation Food security Invasive species Marine plastics Marine spatial planning Modelling the Marine Environment New technologies Ocean acidification Renewable energy

Projects

ADdressing Valuation of Energy and Nature Together (ADVENT)
Completed

ADdressing Valuation of Energy and Nature Together (ADVENT)

Advent is a UK Energy Research Centre Grand Challenge project exploring future UK low carbon energy pathways and quantifying their differing...

CoastWEB
Completed

CoastWEB - Valuing the contribution which COASTal habitats make to human health and WEllBeing, with a focus on the alleviation of natural hazards

Contact: Dr Nicola Beaumont

CoastWEB aims to holistically value the contribution which coastal habitats make to human health and wellbeing, with a focus on the alleviation of...

Developing a model based understanding of ecosystem service regulation
Completed

Developing a model based understanding of ecosystem service regulation

Contact: Dr Jorn Bruggeman

The world's oceans and seas are home to highly diverse ecosystems and are characterised by the richness and abundance of species. Marine...

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Other recent news articles

News

Is valuing biodiversity a useful way to manage and conserve marine resources

Intensifying pressures from resource exploitation, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change are driving widespread declines in marine biodiversity. Concurrently, valuing ‘ecosystem services’, the benefits that people gain from ecosystems, is gaining popularity as a c...

News

The ocean and its valuable role in reducing waste

Humankind produces a large variety of wastes that are introduced into the environment either by accident or by design.

News

Science with impact at PML

In the latest assessment of the UK’s research centres, released today, Plymouth Marine Laboratory has been shown to excel in the quality and real-world impact of its science, with a significant proportion of its research impacts deemed to be “world-leading”.

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Selected key publications

Beaumont NJ; Hooper T; Mongruel R. in press. Practical application of the Ecosystem Service Approach (ESA): Lessons Learned and recommendations for the future. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management.

Barange M; Butenschön M; Yool A; Beaumont N; Fernandes JA; Martin AP; Allen JI. 2016. The cost of reducing the North Atlantic Ocean biological carbon pump. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10 January 2017

Fernandes, JA; Papathanasopoulou, E; Hattam, C; Queiros, AM; Cheung, WWWL; Yool, A; Artioli, Y; Pope, EC; Flynn, KJ; Merino, G; Calosi, P; Beaumont, NJ; Austen, MC; Widdicombe, S; Barange, M. 2016 Estimating the ecological, economic and social impacts of ocean acidification and warming on UK fisheries. Fish and Fisheries, 18 (3). 389-411. 10.1111/faf.12183

Dalton G; Grant A; Beaumont N; Georgakaki A; Hacking N; Hooper T; Kerr S; O'Hagan AM; Reilly K; Ricci P; Sheng W; Stallard T. 2016. Integrated methodologies of economics and socio-economics assessments in ocean renewable energy: private and public perspectives. International Journal of Marine Energy, 15: 191-200.

Garrard SL; Beaumont NJ. 2014. The effect of ocean acidification on carbon storage and sequestration in seagrass beds; a global and UK context. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 86(1–2): 138-146.

Luisetti T; Turner RK; Jickells T; Andrews J; Elliott M; Schaafsma M; Beaumont N; Malcolm S; Burdon D; Adams C; Watts W. 2014. Coastal Zone Ecosystem Services: From science to values and decision making; a case study. Science of the Total Environment 493: 682–693.

Borger, T; Beaumont, NJ; Pendleton, L; Boyle, KJ; Cooper, P; Fletcher, S; Haab, T; Hanemann, M; Hooper, TL; Hussain, SS; Portela, R; Stithou, M; Stockill, J; Taylor, T; Austen, MC. 2014 Incorporating ecosystem services in marine planning: The role of valuation. Marine Policy, 46. 161-170. 10.1016/j.marpol.2014.01.019

Beaumont NJ; Jones L; Garbutt A; Hansom JD; Tobermann M. 2014. The value of blue carbon sequestration and storage in coastal habitats. Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science 137: 32-40.

Mangi, SC; Davies, E; Payne, A; Austen, MC; Simmonds, Beaumont, NJ; Smyth, TJ. 2011 Valuing the regulatory services provided by marine ecosystems.Environmetrics, 22. 686 - 698. 10.1002/env.1095

Beaumont, NJ; Austen, MC; Mangi, SC; Townsend, M. 2008 Economic Valuation for the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 56(3). 386 - 396. 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.11.013

Beaumont, NJ; Austen, MC; Atkins, JP; Burdon, D; Degraer, S; Dentinho, TP; Derous, S; Holm, P; Horton, T; van Ierland, E; Marboe, AH; Starkey, DJ; Townsend, M; Zarzycki, T. 2007 Identification definition and quantification of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity: Implications for the ecosystem approach.Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54. 253 - 265. 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.12.003