Abstract
Vegetated coastal wetlands, including seagrass, saltmarsh and mangroves, are threatened globally, yet the need to avert these losses is poorly recognized in international policy, such as in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. Identifying the impact of overlooking coastal wetlands in ecosystem assessment frameworks could help prioritize research efforts to fill these gaps. Here, we examine gaps in the recognition of coastal wetlands in globally applicable ecosystem assessments. We address both shortfalls in assessment frameworks when it comes to assessing wetlands, and gaps in data that limit widespread application of assessments. We examine five assessment frameworks that track fisheries, greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem threats, and ecosystem services. We found that these assessments inform management decisions, but that the functions provided by coastal wetlands are incompletely represented. Most frameworks had sufficient complexity to measure wetland status, but limitations in data meant they were incompletely informed about wetland functions and services. Incomplete representation of coastal wetlands may lead to them being overlooked by research and management. Improving the coverage of coastal wetlands in ecosystem assessments requires improving global scale mapping of wetland trends, developing global-scale indicators of wetland function and synthesis to quantitatively link animal population dynamics to wetland trends. Filling these gaps will help ensure coastal wetland conservation is properly informed to manage them for the outstanding benefits they bring humanity.
Highlights
Vegetated coastal wetlands – seagrass, saltmarsh and mangroves – sustain biodiversity, support fisheries production, protect shorelines, mitigate climate change, and improve water quality (Alongi, 2012; Carrasquilla-Henao and Juanes, 2017; Nordlund et al, 2016; Sievers et al, 2019; Silliman et al, 2019)
Rates of coastal wetland degradation are high in many tropical nations, such as Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia, where mangrove forests are cleared for aquaculture, agriculture and urban development (Hamilton and Casey, 2016; Richards and Friess, 2016)
Almost 300 indicators were created by 2012, including 134 indicators for coastal and transitional waters (Birk et al, 2012) and indices specific to marine angiosperms. Both frameworks have been implemented at the European Union level, meaning a framework that is applicable for coastal wetlands at a global scale is still missing
Summary
Vegetated coastal wetlands – seagrass, saltmarsh and mangroves – sustain biodiversity, support fisheries production, protect shorelines, mitigate climate change, and improve water quality (Alongi, 2012; Carrasquilla-Henao and Juanes, 2017; Nordlund et al, 2016; Sievers et al, 2019; Silliman et al, 2019). Rates of coastal wetland degradation are high in many tropical nations, such as Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia, where mangrove forests are cleared for aquaculture, agriculture and urban development (Hamilton and Casey, 2016; Richards and Friess, 2016). These are nations where the liveli hoods of people are most vulnerable to the loss of ecosystem services (Unsworth and Cullen, 2010), and they often benefit from international
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