Measuring ecological, economic and social values of coastal habitats to inform ecosystem-based management of land-sea (EBM)

The recent Australia cyclone and the 2005 Caribbean hurricane season, coupled with the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, have stimulated interest in protective services provided by near-shore estuarine, wetland and mangrove habitats. The popular press now links the loss of human life and property to the degradation of interface ecosystems. These events provide a unique opportunity to quantify the value of protective services provided by near-shore vegetated habitats and compare them with economic gains from habitat conversion (e.g. forestry, shrimp farms, or development). We propose using these habitats in a case study for developing and testing assessment and planning tools for ecosystem-based management (EBM) that incorporates terrestrial and marine environments. We will bring together economists, ecologists, geographers, social scientists, and coastal managers to (1) collect and distill existing but scattered data on coastal zone services and value, (2) assess local community attitudes and institutions, and disseminate information about short-term vs. long-term values to help managers determine conservation zones, and (3) use data and modeling to plan EBM strategies that incorporate the interface nature of these systems.