ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3407-8753
Date Awarded
2024
Document Type
Capstone Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Advisor
Andrew Scheld
Committee Member
Cirse Gonzalez
Committee Member
Molly Mitchell
Abstract
Ecosystem services – the benefits humans are provided by the ecosystem through some physical, biological, or chemical process – from marsh habitats are heavily relied upon both globally and in Virginia Middle’s Peninsula. These marsh services include – but are not limited to – carbon removal and sequestration, nutrient removal and storage, improved fish habitat, reduction in storm and flooding impacts, and improved recreation. These services are threatened by human stressors like development, pollution, and climate change. This environmental degradation leads to decreased benefits for humans. Living shorelines are a shoreline management method that protects the ecosystem and provides service benefits to the community. Ecosystem service valuations (ESVs) are a method of estimating the dollar amount a community derives from these benefits. This is often done in hopes of justifying funding to create new or protect existing living shorelines; to prioritize living shoreline project locations; to inform policy-making decisions, or to communicate the value of these ecosystems with an easily interpretable and translatable metric. Those hoping to create an ESV estimate should be aware of difficulties in disseminating their end product, selecting benefits to value, and using technical language. Recommendations for effective communication of the ESV estimate include: doing a stakeholder analysis to identify key stakeholders, collaborating with those stakeholders to establish common goals, and creating a project glossary with accessible and consistent definitions of commonly used terminology. Knowing these challenges and implementing recommendations will lead to a user-friendly ESV estimate.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25773/zbg4-9n54
Rights
© The Author
Recommended Citation
Woodson, AnnJacob, "Making Cents of Science: Lessons Learned & Recommendations for Communicating Ecosystem Service Valuation" (2024). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. William & Mary. Paper 1727788021.
https://doi.org/10.25773/zbg4-9n54
