1. The Value of Estuarine and Coastal
Ecosystem Services
EDWARD B. BARBIER,
SALLY D. HACKER, CHRIS KENNEDY,
EVAMARIA W. KOCH, ADRIAN C. STIER,
AND BRIAN R. SILLIMAN
2. Who is the author?
Edward B. Barbier
Professor of Economics,
Department of Economics and
Finance, University of Wyoming.
He has over 25 years
experience as an environmental
and resource economist, working
on natural resource and
development issues as well as the
interface between economics and
ecology.
He has served as a consultant
and policy analyst for a variety of
national, international and non-
governmental agencies, including
many UN organizations and the
World Bank.
3. Main goal of this paper
Integrating knowledge
1. To illustrate the current state of identifying,
assessing, and valuing the key ecosystem
services of Estuarine Coastal Ecosystems.
2. What is the current state of progress in
integrating knowledge about the “Ecological
production function”.
3. Economic valuation methods to value changes in
services in terms of Impacts on human welfare.
7. Coral Reef Services
Raw materials (lime)
Coastal protection
Maintenance of fisheries
Nutrient cycling
Tourism, Recreation, Education, Research
8. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of
more than 2900 coral reefs and more than 900 individual islands
http://cool-travel-vacations.blogspot.com/2008/07/great-barrier-reef-spans-almost-350000.html
Northeast of Queensland, Australia, some 2 million tourists come to the Great Barrier
Reef every year. In 2005, it was estimated that this tourism generated 5.1 Billion
Australian dollars, up from 4 Billion Australian dollars in 2003.
13. Sumatra Tsunami
Where dynamite fishing had occurred suffered 70% greater wave heights than
undisturbed areas during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (Fernando et al. 2005).
http://www.enterprisemission.com/hyperquake.htm
15. Tropical islands disappearing as a result of
coral mining and sea level rise
Indian Ocean’s Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
http://theseamonster.net/2011/05/tropical-islands-disappearing-as-a-result-of-coral-mining/
16. Eutrophication
Baltic Sea
Finland
underwater image is from the southern coast
http://coastalchallenges.com/category/eutrophication/ of Finland, photo (c) 2010 Erkki Siirila.
17. Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman scientists found almost 500 square kilometers of coral reef simply
overwhelmed a massive algae bloom. The researchers found that almost 95% of the
coral under the surface of these blooms died rapidly under the foreign conditions.
http://electrictreehouse.com/aglae-blooms-are-killing-coral/
18. Coastal Development, dredging and
sedimentation
An aerial view of the coastline along Hawaii Kai on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu
where organic sediment is one of the major threat to the reef.
Photograph: Ed Darack/Corbis
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/02/coral-catastrophic-future
19. Biological Invasion
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed an aquarium tank in Florida. About a half-
dozen spiny, venomous lionfish washed into the Atlantic Ocean…
Originally from the Pacific Ocean, the spiny, venomous lionfish can
kill three-quarters of an Atlantic coral reef's fish population in just
five weeks (Hixon, 2005)
http://www.worldzootoday.com/2009/08/11/spreading-lionfish-invasion-threatens-bahamas/
22. Seagrasses Services
Coastal protection
Erosion control
Water purification
Maintenance of fisheries
Carbon sequestration (~50% of carbon burial in the ocean)
Tourism, recreation, education and research
23. Australia Seagrass
Action Planning
http://www.seagrasswatch.org/training.html http://ian.umces.edu/bill/pdfs/seagrass_in_australia.pdf
Loss of 12,700 ha of seagrasses in Australia is associated with lost fishery
production of AU$23, 000 (McArthur and Boland 2006)
24. Seagrass Stressors
1. Eutrophication
2. Overharvesting
3. Sediment runoff
4. Algal blooms
5. Commercial fisheries
Seaweed farming on seagrass beds at
6. Aquaculture practices Bwejuu beach island of Zanzibar Tanzania
http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=1522468
7. Vegetation disturbance
8. Global warming
25. Salt Marshes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_marsh
• Intertidal grasslands
• Low energy-wave
protected shorelines
• Continental margins
• Sharp zonation of
plants
• Low species
diversity
• High primary and
secondary
production
26. Salt Marshes Services
• Coastal protection
• Erosion control
• Water purification
• Maintenance of fisheries
• Carbon sequestration
• Tourism, recreation, education, and research
http://saltmarshlife.com/salt-marsh/ecology.html
27. Longton Marsh
Ribble Estuary England
Ribble Estuary on England’s west coast, annual net income from grazing in a salt
marsh nature reserve is: ￡15.27/ha yr (King and Lester 1995).
28. Louisiana USA
$785 to $15 000/acre year in savings
on wastewater treatment
http://comiteresources.net/wa_bernard.asp
29. Salt Marshes Stressors
Biological invasions
Eutrophication
Climate change
Sea level rise
Increasing air and sea surface temperatures
Increasing CO2 concentrations
Altered hydrologic regimes
Marsh reclamation
Vegetation disturbance
Pollution
30. Oil contamination Louisiana Marshes
Grant to study effects of oil and dispersants on Louisiana salt
marsh ecosystem: http://www.physorg.com/news201229977.html
The coast of Louisiana is lined with extensive salt marshes
whose foundation is two species of Spartina grass. Credit: USGS
31. Mangroves
• Coastal Forests
• Saline tidal areas
• Sheltered bays, estuaries, and inlets
• Tropic and subtropics
• 50-75 woody species
• 1970=75% of coastlines
• 35% is lost
• Disappearing rate = 1-2% annually
33. Mangroves Services
1. Raw materials and food
2. Coastal protection
3. Erosion control
4. Water purification
5. Maintenance of fisheries
6. Carbon sequestration
7. Tourism, recreation,
education and research
Mangrove Channel
Cabo Rojo, P.R.
34. Mangrove Stressors
• Deforestation for aquaculture expansion 52%
(Shrimp farms 38%)
• Industrial lumbrer and woodship
• Freshwater diversion
• Reclamation of land
• Herbicides
• Agriculture
• Salt ponds
Pondicherry, India Salt Pond:
https://picasaweb.google.com/KolamTamilNadu2008/TamilNaduTourJanuary2009
35. Lumber and charcoal
Singapoore de-barked logs for carcoal Women harvesting mangrove wood in
production. http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-is- Cameroon. Photo courtesy of Feka and
charcoal-made-from-mangroves.html Manzano (2008).
36. Mangroves in Thailand
Many of the coastal provinces
in Thailand have mangrove
forests. However, the number
of mangroves over the last 30
years or so have decreased
greatly. In 1961 there were
909,346 acres of mangrove
forests. By 2002 this number
had reduced to only 593,052
acres. This is mainly due to
urbanization, agriculture and
aquaculture. In Samut Prakan,
many mangroves were
destroyed to make room for http://www.thai-blogs.com/2009/08/10/mangrove-reforestation-in-samut-prakan/
shrimp farms, factories and
housing estates.
37. Sand Beaches and Dunes
Low-lying coastal margins structures
Sand transported by ocean Marine and terrestrial
waves components
Vegetation Cover roughly 34% of the
Dynamic geomorphic worlds ice-free coastlines.
Dunes of Isabela, Puerto Rico
38. Sand Beaches and Dunes Services
1. Raw materials
2. Coastal protection
3. Erosion control
4. Water catchment and
purification
5. Maintenance of wildlife
6. Carbon sequestration
7. Tourism, recreation,
education and research Meijendel dunes in The Netherlands
http://www.boerhaavextern.nl/SPNHC2009/LightNEasy.php?page=Fieldtrips
39. The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park has 8 inter-linking ecosystems
and is considered the most definitive Eco-tourist experience.
The vegetated coastal dunes are estimated to be 25 000 years old and are the highest
dune forests (exceeding 180 m in height) in the World. There are 36 snake species, 80
dragonfly species, 526 bird species, 110 butterfly species; 114 species of fish….
http://www.lidikolodge.co.za/wb/pages/home/the-greater-st-lucia-wetland-park.php
40. Sand Beaches and Dunes
Stressors
Mining
Human use
Species invasions
Climate change
http://www.jstor.org/pss/25098214
41. Coastal Dune Mining
Maphelane Dunes , South Africa
(Photo. Paul Dutton)
http://www.satsa.com/Downloads/ZWF%203rd%20Appeal%20Ref%202811%20B.htm
43. Conclusion
Toward a management action plan
• More interdisciplinary studies (sea grass beads
and sand dunes have not been assessed
properly)
• Destruction of these ECEs can no longer be
viewed as costless
• In many developing countries, local
government should involve co-management
• Encourage ecological restoration
44. Conclusion
Toward a management action plan
• Time and space variability
• Interconnection (single “seascape”)
• Rate of degradation + human drivers
• Monetary value vs. survival (infinite value)
Why should we put monetary value to coastal estuarine
ecosystems?
Can we consider a good approach to set an infinite
monetary value and focus on restoration and
sustainable management?
45. FAO thematic paper: The role of coastal forests and trees in
protecting against coastal erosion
http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ag127e/AG127E09.htm
