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Abstract
Posidonia oceanica meadows and coralligenous reefs are two Mediterranean ecosystems that are recognised as suppliers of valuable ecosystem services (ESs), including cultural services. However, valuation studies on these ecosystems are rarely addressed, and mainly focusing on provisioning and regulating services. Here we focus on the cultural services provided by P. oceanica and coralligenous, by addressing a specific group of users. Through an online survey submitted to Italian scuba divers, we assess their willingness to pay for a dive in the two ecosystems and how their preferences will change under different scenarios of degradation. Diving preferences are assessed using a discrete choice experiment. The results confirmed that ecological knowledge is associated with higher ecosystem values. Moreover, results confirm and assess how a high degradation of coralligenous and P. oceanica habitats would reduce the value of the underwater environment, by decreasing scuba diver satisfaction and their return visit rate. Considering a 50% reduction in the coverage of keystone species, the marginal willingness to pay decreased by approximately €56 and €18, respectively, for coralligenous reefs and P. oceanica, while the willingness to pay decreased by approximately €108 and €34, respectively, for a total reduction in coverage. Our results can be used to support the marine ecosystem-based management, and the non-destructive use of the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica meadows and coralligenous reefs.
Highlights
Coralligenous reefs and Posidonia oceanica meadows are two Mediterranean ecosystems that are important suppliers of highly valuable ecosystem services (ESs) and benefits and have a fundamental role in supporting human wellbeing (Salomidi et al, 2012; Campagne et al, 2015)
As expected and in agreement with Rodrigues et al (2015), we found that scuba divers have a strong predilection for coralligenous habitats but are sensitive to the loss of P. oceanica meadows
This study contributes to the valuation of Italian marine benthic ecosystems and estimates how their disappearance could lead to economic losses
Summary
Coralligenous reefs and Posidonia oceanica meadows are two Mediterranean ecosystems that are important suppliers of highly valuable ecosystem services (ESs) and benefits and have a fundamental role in supporting human wellbeing (Salomidi et al, 2012; Campagne et al, 2015). Mediterranean marine ecosystems, including coralligenous reefs and P. oceanica meadows, are highly threatened by local and global stressors, which often interact with one another. These stressors include intensive coastal development, pollution, invasive alien species, unsustainable fishing practices, poorly planned tourism (Coll et al, 2012; Katsanevakis et al, 2014; Randone et al, 2017), and global drivers of climate change (Jordà et al, 2012; Marbà et al, 2014; Martin et al, 2014; Gaylord et al, 2015; Zunino et al, 2017). In the business-as-usual scenario of anthropogenic emissions (IPCC, 2014), the observed and projected levels of ocean acidification (OA) and global warming may highly threaten P. oceanica and coralligenous ecosystems (Jordà et al, 2012; Gattuso et al, 2015; Chefaoui et al, 2018; Zunino et al, 2019)
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