Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services: Importance of Marine Ecosystems

Marine and coastal ecosystems are recognized as among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Nearly 40% of the world’s population lives in coastal areas and relies on the benefits of marine services; however, these environments represent some of the most exploited natural systems in the world. As stated in the Blu Economy report “it is critical to accurately map, quantify and evaluate marine ecosystem services, as well as monitor the state of marine natural capital”, as the long-term provision of ecosystem services depends on healthy, resilient and diverse ecosystems , as well as the sustainable use of natural capital.

In this seminar I will address the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services with a particular focus on the marine environment and Environmental Accounting methodologies for a biophysical and economic assessment of ecosystems. In particular, I will introduce the concepts of Emergy and Eco-exergy Accounting, methods widely used to explain the role of matter and energy flows in the functioning of ecological systems. Furthermore, I will address the key concepts of the recent System of Environmental Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework for the biophysical and economic assessment of ecosystem services.

19.05.2023 - Online