Estimated ecosystem services value

Description

Marine ecosystem services have substantial economic value. While exact figures are still debated, attempts to estimate the value of coastal ecosystem services have found such values to be on the order of trillions of US dollars annually (Costanza, et al., 1997). Nearly three-quarters of this value resides in coastal zones (Martínez, et al., 2007). These ecosystem services offer a renewable opportunity to meet basic human needs, support a healthy and sustainable economy, and provide jobs for a growing global population.