CHARACTERIZING COASTAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEM VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE: CONSERVATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Biodiversity is a term that describes variability in genes, species, habitats, and ecosystems. Ecosystem services refers to natural products and processes that are of value to human societies. Many scientific studies have related biodiversity with delivery of groups of ecosystem services such as: - Provisioning services, such as production of food or timber. - Regulating services, such as degradation of pollutants, or mitigation of flooding. - Cultural services, such as the recreational value of being in nature, or pursuit of spiritual needs. - Supporting services, such as nutrient cycling. Examples of ecosystem services in coastal and marine environments include the capacity of ambient surface waters to treat waste water; provision of food in the form of fish and shellfish; and protection from flooding and storm events provided by mangroves, wetlands, or natural dunes. These ecosystem services have real economic value, and conservation of these services presents society with measureable economic benefits. In contrast, degradation of ecosystem services is often associated with easurable costs.