Incorporating Ecosystem Services in Marine Planning: The Role of Valuation

This article in the journal Marine Policy scrutinizes the use of ecosystem services valuation for marine planning. Lessons are drawn from the development and use of environmental valuation and cost-benefit analysis for policy making in the United States and the United Kingdom. Current approaches to marine planning in both countries are presented, and the role that ecosystem services valuation could play in this context is outlined. It highlights steps in the marine planning process during which valuation can inform marine planning and policy making as well as discusses methodological challenges to applying ecosystem services valuation techniques to marine planning. Finally, it makes recommendations to meet these challenges.