Coastal SEES Collaborative Research: Coastal Sustainability: A cross-site comparison of salt marsh persistence in response to sea-level rise and feedbacks from social adaptations

Coastal ecosystems are often valued for decision-making purposes based on monetized market and non-market values of goods and services, and associated economic impacts. Examples include values of fishery landings, price changes for waterfront homes, and tourism revenues. Monetized quantities such as these do not provide a comprehensive characterization of the values provided by these ecosystems. Human reliance on the goods and services provided by ecosystems and the global decline in the health of many of these ecosystems suggests the need for ecosystem valuation to help inform decision-making and conservation policy. However, traditionally employed economic valuation methods are rarely able to capture the full scope of the benefits ecosystems provide, including benefits provided by "cultural" ecosystem services. Qualitative methods such as focus groups can provide insight on these values not available through quantitative methods alone. This research explores public perceptions of salt marsh value through the use of semi-structured focus groups in marsh-adjacent communities in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Georgia. The data include de-identified focus group transcripts from three 90-minute focus groups held in each state. Initial questions were drawn from the same semi-structured question list in each focus group, with exploratory follow-up questions based on participant responses. Results of text analysis suggest that in case study communities, outdoor experiences in salt marshes inspire serenity in Massachusetts, influence shore identities in Virginia, and promote stewardship cultivation in Georgia. Perceived threats to these benefits, such as the threat of residential development, industrial pollution, and increasing flood risk, together constitute the context for various community responses related to marsh protection. Results supplement information from extant economic valuations and show the importance of utilizing diverse methods to elicit information on social value. This project was supported by the National Science Foundation grant 1427105.