Marine ecosystem services are the benefits that people obtain from marine ecosystems. The healthier the ecosystems, the greater the services that marine ecosystems can provide and the larger the benefits for human beings.
But those benefits are not limited to the economic profit associated with maritime activities (fisheries, aquaculture, energy, etc); they also include environmental (climate regulation, water cycle, etc) and societal benefits (health-related, cultural or even spiritual). Ensuring the sustainability of human activities is essential to guarantee ecosystem integrity and the continuity of ecosystem service supply.
At the IIM-CSIC, we have expertise in providing advice about a variety of ecosystem services provided by the ocean to help policy-makers and managers find the equilibrium and achieve an optimal use of the natural capital provided by the ocean.
You can read about all our capabilities and associated services below.