Applying Ecosystem Services to the Practice of Coastal Management: An Overview

Abstract

In the coastal science and management community of practice, the concept of ecosystem services (ES) is an approach to valuation that is growing and developing, through practice, to mean different things to different people. It is for these reasons that The Coastal Society, in partnership with the Coastal Management Journal editorial board, developed a special edition of the journal with the theme “Applying Ecosystem Services to the Practice of Coastal Management – Understanding Values.” This special edition sought papers on ES research and practice that examined the mix of ecological and social science research, stakeholder engagement, and communication that occurred throughout these efforts. In this introductory essay, the special edition co-editors and colleagues explore common themes across these papers, which span a range of location, practices, and experiences. Themes include the use of the ES approach, methodologies developed and deployed, connecting ES with people and society, reflections on challenges experienced, and reflections on applications for decision-making and management. This paper concludes with reflections on work that is yet to be done, in ES research, training, and application, to improve methods of measuring and communicating the values of our coasts and thus better prepare managers for the complexities of 21st-century management challenges.