Cultural Services in Aquatic Ecosystems

Abstract

Many people seek and interact with aquatic ecosystems such as seas, rivers and wetlands to obtain non-material benefits provided by cultural ecosystem services. These services influence the way people live and feel in the world and contribute to the satisfaction of fundamental human needs. However, cultural ecosystem services are often undervalued, underprotected, and neglected from ecosystem services studies. This arises from difficulties in their operation such as uncertainties on their generation and on people’s demand for cultural ecosystem services.