Valuing Marine Ecosystems - Taking into account the value of ecosystem benefits in the Blue Economy

This publication highlights current thinking in ecosystem service valuation for the marine
environment. Valuation of the direct and indirect benefits (for either societal welfare, health
and economic activities) stemming from marine ecosystem services, can help to assess
the long-term sustainability of blue growth, support policy development and marine
management decisions, and raise awareness of the importance of the marine environment
to society and in the economy. Recommendations are made on how to incorporate outputs
from valuation studies into the traditional analyses used in resource and environmental
economics and into the European marine policy landscape and related management and
decision making choices.