Valuing Ecosystem Services Of Coastal Marshes And Wetlands

This publication is an overview of coastal ecosystem services and estimate economic values of various coastal marshes and wetlands benefits using the relevant literature. An additional focus is on establishing Coastal marshes and wetlands provide ecosystem services that are critical to coastal communities and economies worldwide. In general, the term ‘ecosystem services’ refers to the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. The natural functioning of coastal ecosystems is needed to produce and sustain the vital flow of various goods and services to humans. However, increasing threats from both human activities and environmental changes have been continually challenging the capacity of these natural systems to provide valuable benefits such as protection from flooding and storm events, filtering and detoxification, and providing nursery habitats. The relevance of such studies to coastal marshes and wetlands in South Carolina. Grant no. NA14OAR4170088