Priority research questions to generate decision-grade data to enable coastal ecosystems to mitigate the climate and nutrient crises

Nature-Based Solutions, green-finance instruments, and policies are now routinely constructed around carbon sequestration/storage (CSS) and nutrient bioremediation (NB). This integration builds on how Market-Based Instruments (e.g., payments-for-ecosystem-services) are regularly used in policies focused on terrestrial ecosystems. In marine and coastal systems, a poor understanding of CSS/NB biophysical processes and impacts of ecosystem quality/stressors, combined with methods and governance framework knowledge gaps, generates substantial uncertainty in outcomes. Reductions in output confidence preclude integration into Nature-Based Solutions, stifling market-based investment centred on conserving and restoring temperate coastal ecosystems. To navigate this complex, rapidly evolving area, researchers from six continents engaged in a Priority Setting Exercise to generate 25 questions that, if answered within 10 years, will increase robustness, scalability, and applicability of CSS/NB dat..., , # Data from: Priority research questions to generate decision-grade data to enable coastal ecosystems to mitigate the climate and nutrient crises

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.pk0p2nh3w](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.pk0p2nh3w)

README to accompany data in:

Watson_et_al._PSE_data_for_archiving_2026.xlsx
Watson_et_al._PSE_data_for_archiving_2026_CSV.csv

Prior to participation, all participants signed a declaration that included the following statement. All data will be either collected or transferred into an electronic format. Removing all identifiable information, all data will be completely anonymised, acknowledging the Data Protection Act (1998) and more recent General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679. Data were de-identified by replacing names with a number prior to archiving in Dryad

Tab 1: Rank Qs. After the workshop, the remaining questions (column C) from each theme were combined into one spreadsheet (44 questions altogether, original question numbers of the 248 long list a..., Prior to participation all participants signed a declaration which included the following statement.

All data will be either collected or transferred into an electronic format. Removing all identifiable information, all data will be completely anonymised, acknowledging the Data Protection Act (1998) and more recent General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679.

Data were de-identified by replacing names with a number prior to archiving in Dryad,