Options for Delivering Ecosystem-Based
Marine Management
Marine Ecosystem Service Cards V1.0
EC Collaborative Project (large scale integrating project) - Grant Agreement 244273
January 2014
ODEMM Partners
Recommended Citation: Baulcomb, C.A., A. Böhnke-Henrichs, L. White, H. Bloomfield, R. Koss, S. Hussain, R. de Groot,
and L.A. Robinsion. 2014. Marine Ecosystem Service Cards. EC FP7 project (244273) ‘Options for
Delivering Ecosystem-based Marine Management’. University of Liverpool. ISBN: 978-0-906370-83-4.
Available at: http://www.odemm.com.
This work was supported by the European Commission’s 7th framework project ‘Options for Delivering EcosystemBased Marine Management’ (ODEMM, Theme ENV.2009.2.2.1.1)
Options for Delivering Marine Ecosystem Based Management
(ODEMM) Marine Ecosystem Service Cards V1.0
Corinne Baulcomb(1), Anne Böhnke-Henrichs(2), Lydia White(3), Helen Bloomfield(3), Rebecca
Koss(3), Salman Hussain(1), Rudolf de Groot(2), and Leonie Robinson(3)
(1) Land Economy, Environment & Society Research Group, SRUC, Edinburgh UK.
(2) Environmental Systems Analysis, Wageningen UR, Netherlands.
(3) School of Environmental Science, University of Liverpool, UK.
Background
Thank you for downloading a copy of the ODEMM Marine Ecosystem Service Cards! These cards
contain specific definitions, examples, and pictorial representations for the 21 marine
ecosystem services included in the ecosystem service typology developed in the ODEMM project
(see below).
Boehnke-Henrichs, A., C. Baulcomb, R. Koss, S. Hussain, and R. S. de Groot. 2013. Typology
and Indicators of Ecosystem Services for Marine Spatial Planning and Management. Journal
of Environmental Management 130: 135-145
This publication has further detail on the typology, including on the rationale behind the
typology and comparisons with other marine-specific typologies. If you cannot access it, and
would like a copy, please send an email request for the paper to the lead author, Anne BöhnkeHenrichs: [email protected].
These cards have been created to help individuals and groups become familiar with the ODEMM
marine ecosystem service typology, and are available free of charge. It is our hope that these
cards will make marine ecosystem services more accessible, that they will contribute to a
greater understanding of marine ecosystem services, and that they will facilitate future marine
ecosystem service assessments.
Introduction
Before you take a look at these cards, please have a read through the following information
providing a little bit of introductory information about each of the services included in the
typology. This information does not include the formal definitions of each of the services – these
definitions are found on the cards themselves and in the paper cited above – but should provide
a starting point for understanding these services. 1
1. Sea food
This service is, as the name suggests, all about the food we get from the sea. It includes
all wild organisms (flora and fauna) that are harvested from the sea that humans
consume directly as food (and not for medicinal purposes, for example). Similarly, wild
organisms harvested from the sea that get turned into fish meal fall within the remit of
the raw materials service.
1
Note that for the duration of this introduction, no distinction will be made between the words ‘marine’ and ‘coastal.’
2. Sea water
This service relates to the provision of sea water of a certain quality for use in human
industrial and economic pursuits. How that quality is measured depends on the use to
which it is put.
3. Raw materials
This service focuses on those materials that are of biological origin that humans extract
from the sea and use in industrial contexts. This includes fishmeal for livestock and
aquaculture feed, but excludes both genes from marine organisms that are extracted and
utilised and any produce of marine origin that is used medicinally.
4. Genetic resources
This service focuses solely on the genes that are extracted from wild marine organisms
and used by human society.
5. Medicinal resources
This service focuses solely on the medicinal (including, but not limited to,
pharmaceutical) substances that humans extract from wild marine organisms.
6. Ornamental resources
This service focuses on any material collected from marine environments that is used
decoratively, or in crafts, or in hobby pursuits.
7. Air Purification
This service focuses on the removal from the atmosphere of substances that are
anthropogenic pollutants. It does not include any subsequent bioremediation of these
pollutants.
8. Climate Regulation
This service focuses on the net sequestration of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse
gases) in the marine environment.
9. Disturbance Prevention and Moderation
This service focuses on the dissipation of storm (or periodic event) energy by marine
environments.
10. Regulation of Water Flows
This service focuses on the maintenance of localised current structures by marine
ecosystems. 2
11. Waste Treatment
This service focuses on the bioremediation of pollutants that have entered marine
environments by marine ecosystems.
Disclaimer: The image on this card is purely hypothetical, but was inspired by the visualisations of the outputs by
coastal current models, such as the vector current diagram showing the mean surface currents for the calendar year
2005 created by the Ocean Modeling Group at the School of Marine Sciences (University of Maine) for the Gulf of
Maine Census of Marine Life. It is important to note that while images such as this one served as inspiration for the
visualization of this service, a) that such current models are not modeling marine ecosystem service delivery, and b)
that the visualizations of these models inevitably require the use of algorithms to average spatially and temporally
complex data so that it can be displayed clearly. Users of these cards should take away from the card for this service
the idea that there are localised current structures in coastal areas, and that these current structures can be affected
by marine ecosystems, and by the biotic parts of marine ecosystems in particular.
2
12. Coastal Erosion Prevention
This service focuses on the role that marine ecosystems play in controlling the rate of
net sedimentation in coastal environments on a day-to-day basis.
13. Biological Control
This service focuses on the resilience within marine ecosystems, and their ability to
overcome shocks that have been experienced.
14. Lifecycle Maintenance
This service focuses on the role that marine ecosystems play in the provision of habitat
for the juvenile life stages of species that have commercial or non-market value
elsewhere as adults.
15. Gene Pool Protection
The service focuses on the role that marine ecosystems play in maintaining genetic
diversity within and across marine populations.
16. Recreation and Leisure
This service focuses on the contribution that marine ecosystems make to any
recreational or leisure activity undertaken by humans
17. Aesthetic Information
This service focuses on the aesthetic inputs (or the aesthetic dimensions) of marine
ecosystems (i.e. the touch, sound, appearance, taste, etc.). It also includes the role that
marine ecosystems play in informal spiritual experiences.
18. Inspiration for Culture, Art & Design
This service focuses on any elements of art or design that have been inspired by marine
ecosystems.
19. Spiritual Experience
This service focuses on the contribution that marine ecosystems make to formal,
organized religious activities.
20. Information for Cognitive Development
This service focuses on the role that marine ecosystems play in both formal and informal
education, including research.
21. Cultural Heritage & Identity
This service focuses on the contribution that the marine ecosystems make to cultural
heritage, cultural identity (past and present), and ones ‘sense of place.’
Acknowledgements
The ODEMM team would like to thank the participants in the ODEMM road show events who
provided valuable feedback on early draft versions of these cards. The ODEMM team also
extends its sincere gratitude and thanks to Jón Baldur Hlidberg, [1] who created the images
shown on these cards, and whose original artwork is featured heavily throughout the set. The
ODEMM team would also like to thank everyone else who donated the use of their images in
these cards.
[1]
Fauna.is - http://www.fauna.is/defaulte.asp
Use
If you end up using these cards, please reference them as follows:
Baulcomb, C., A. Böhnke-Henrichs, L. White, H. Bloomfield, R. Koss, S. Hussain, R. de Groot, and L.
Robinsion. 2014. Marine Ecosystem Service Cards. EC FP7 project (244273) ‘Options for Delivering
Ecosystem-based Marine Management’. University of Liverpool. ISBN: 978-0-906370-83-4.
Available at: http://www.odemm.com.
Please note that the cards are the intellectual property of the ODEMM project, and hence are
subject to copyright by ODEMM. They may not be used for commercial purposes, and may not
be altered in any way. Additionally, none of the images found on the cards may be altered,
removed from the cards, or re-used in any new application at any time without the express
written consent of the ODEMM project.
Printing Instructions
Note that these cards should be printed double-sided, with the ODEMM logo on one side and the
ES Card detail on the other. This is reflected in the construction of the file containing the cards.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us!
Main Contacts
Anne Böhnke-Henrichs:
Corinne Baulcomb:
Dolf de Groot:
Salman Hussain:
Leonie Robinson:
Rebecca Koss:
[email protected].
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
PROVISIONING SERVICE
SEAFOOD
Examples
Fish, Shellfish, Seaweed
All available marine fauna and
flora extracted from
coastal/marine environments for
the specific purpose of human
consumption as food
PROVISIONING SERVICE
SEA WATER
Examples
Seawater used in shipping,
Industrial cooling, Desalinization
Marine water in oceans, seas
and inland seas that is extracted
for use in human industry and
economic activity
PROVISIONING SERVICE
RAW MATERIALS
Examples
Algae (non-food),
Sand of biogenic origin
The extraction of any biogenic
material from coastal/marine
environments
PROVISIONING SERVICE
GENETIC RESOURCES
Examples
Use of marine flora/fauna-derived
genetic material to improve crop
resistance
The provision/extraction of
genetic material from marine
flora and fauna for use in nonmarine, non-medicinal contexts
PROVISIONING SERVICE
MEDICINAL RESOURCES
Examples
Marine-derived pharmaceuticals;
Marine/coastal derived salt-water
used for health purposes
Any material that is extracted
from the coastal/marine
environment for its ability to
provide medicinal benefits
PROVISIONING SERVICE
ORNAMENTAL RESOURCES
Examples
Shells, Aquarium fish,
Pearls, Coral
Any material extracted for use in
decoration, fashion, handicrafts,
souvenirs, etc.
REGULATING SERVICE
AIR PURIFICATION
Examples
The removal from the air of
pollutants like fine dust and
particular matter, sulphur dioxide,
carbon dioxide, etc.
The removal from the air of
anthropogenic pollutants by a
coastal/marine ecosystem
REGULATING SERVICE
CLIMATE REGULATION
Examples
Production, consumption and
use by marine organisms of
gases such as carbon dioxide,
water vapour, nitrous oxides,
methane and dimethyl sulphide
The contribution of biotic
elements of coastal/marine
ecosystems to the maintenance
of a favourable climate
REGULATING SERVICE
DISTURBANCE PREVENTION
AND MODERATION
Examples
The reduction in the intensity or and/or
damage caused by environmental
disturbances resulting directly from
marine ecosystem structures like salt
marshes, sea grass beds and mangroves
The contribution of marine
ecosystem structures to the
dampening of the intensity of
environmental disturbances
REGULATING SERVICE
REGULATION OF
WATER FLOWS
Examples
Effect of macro-algae on localized
current intensity; Maintenance of
deep channels used for shipping
by coastal currents
The contribution of
marine/coastal ecosystems to
the maintenance of localized
coastal current structures
REGULATING SERVICE
WASTE TREATMENT
Examples
Breakdown of chemical
pollutants by marine
microorganisms; filtering of
coastal water by shell fish
The bioremediation of
anthropogenic pollutants by
coastal/marine ecosystems
REGULATING SERVICE
COASTAL EROSION
PROTECTION
Examples
Maintenance of coastal dunes by
coastal vegetation; reduction in
scouring potential that results for
near-shore macro-algal forests
The contribution of
coastal/marine ecosystems to
Coastal Erosion Prevention
REGULATING SERVICE
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
Examples
Role that top predators play in
limiting populations of
opportunistic species like
jellyfish and squid
Contribution of marine/coastal
ecosystems to the maintenance
of natural healthy population
dynamics to support ecosystem
resilience by maintaining food
web structure and flows
HABITAT
LIFECYCLE MAINTENANCE
Examples
Reproductive habitat of
species that attain commercial or
non-market value elsewhere
The contribution of a particular
habitat to migratory species’
populations through the
provision of essential habitat for
reproduction and juvenile
maturation
HABITAT
GENE POOL PROTECTION
Examples
Inter- and intra-specific genetic
diversity that is supported by
marine ecosystems that enhances
adaptability of species to
environmental changes
The contribution of marine
habitats to the maintenance of
viable gene pools through
natural selection/evolutionary
processes
CULTURAL & AMENITY
RECREATION AND LEISURE
Examples
Bird/whale watching,
Beachcombing, Sailing,
Recreational fishing,
SCUBA diving etc.
The provision of opportunities
for Recreation and Leisure that
depend on a particular state of
marine/coastal ecosystems
CULTURAL & AMENITY
AESTHETIC INFORMATION
Examples
Particular aesthetic dimensions of a
sea-scape or a beach-scape that
emotionally resonate with individual
observers
The contribution marine/coastal
ecosystems make to the
existence of a surface or
subsurface sea-scapes
CULTURAL & AMENITY
INSPIRATION FOR CULTURE,
ART AND DESIGN
Examples
Use of marine landscape as a motif
in paintings; Use of marine features
(e.g waves) in jewellery; Inspiration
for films (e.g. Jaws, Finding Nemo)
The contribution marine/coastal
ecosystems make to
environmental features that
inspire elements of culture, art,
and/or design
CULTURAL & AMENITY
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
Examples
Several Greek and Roman gods were
connected to the sea; the fish is a
prominent Christian symbol; marine
organisms play an important role in
various indigenous communities’ religion
The contribution marine/coastal
ecosystems make to formal
religious experiences
CULTURAL & AMENITY
INFORMATION FOR
COGNITATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Examples
Environmental education of children
& adults; development of surfaces to
reduce marine biofouling based on
examples in marine environments
The contribution marine/coastal
ecosystems make to education,
research, etc.
CULTURAL & AMENITY
CULTURAL HERITAGE
AND IDENTITY
Examples
Animals of specific cultural
relevance; cultural ‘functions’ of the
sea in daily community life
The contribution marine/coastal
ecosystems make to cultural
traditions and folklore
ODEMM is funded by the EC under FP7
ISBN Number: 978-0-906370-83-4