Carlota Plantier Santos
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute, Department Member
The stakeholder valuation workshops were a first step toward testing the RESVI approach for marine environments. Future studies are recommended to fully develop the viability of this methodology. The results obtained during the workshops... more
The stakeholder valuation workshops were a first step toward testing the RESVI approach for marine environments. Future studies are recommended to fully develop the viability of this methodology. The results obtained during the workshops may be useful in future discussions of scientific and socio-economic indicators to monitor and maintain ecosystem services health in alignment with stakeholder needs. Future steps
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On January 24th-26th, 2012, the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Northern Gulf Institute hosted a workshop to identify... more
On January 24th-26th, 2012, the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Northern Gulf Institute hosted a workshop to identify appropriate mechanisms for incorporating ecosystem services in restoration decisions and to develop a comprehensive decision-making framework that includes ecosystem services. There were a total of 26 attendees representing different disciplines such as ecology, geology, biology, oceanography, and economics. Federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and academic institutions were represented. The workshop’s main goal was to initiate the exploration of a more consistent process for the integration of ecosystem services into natural resource decision-making at all levels, e.g., local, state, and regional. Attendees discussed (1) if and how ecosystem services were being used in protection and restoration project...
Yoskowitz, D., C. Santos, B. Allee, C. Carollo, J. Henderson, S. Jordan, J. Ritchie (2010). Proceedings of the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Services Workshop: Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, June 16-18, 2010. October. 16 pages. Harte Research... more
Yoskowitz, D., C. Santos, B. Allee, C. Carollo, J. Henderson, S. Jordan, J. Ritchie (2010). Proceedings of the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Services Workshop: Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, June 16-18, 2010. October. 16 pages. Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. Texas A&M ...
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ABSTRACT
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The goal of the present study was to identify the potential changes in ecosystem service values provided by wetlands in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA, under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A1B max (0.69 m) sea level rise... more
The goal of the present study was to identify the potential changes in ecosystem service values provided by wetlands in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA, under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A1B max (0.69 m) sea level rise scenario. Built exclusively upon the output produced during the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model 6 (SLAMM 6) exercise for the Galveston Bay region, this study showed that fresh marsh and salt marsh present a steady decline from 2009 (initial condition) to 2100. Fresh marsh was projected to undergo the biggest changes, with the loss of approximately 21% of its extent between 2009 and 2100 under the A1B max scenario. The percentages of change for salt marsh were less prominent at approximately 12%. This trend was also shown in the values of selected ecosystem services (disturbance regulation, waste regulation, recreation, and aesthetics) provided by these habitats. An ordinary least squares regression was used to calculate the monetary value of the selected ecosystem services provided by salt marsh and fresh marsh in 2009, and in 2050 and 2100 under the A1B max scenario. The value of the selected services showed potential monetary losses in excess of US$40 million annually in 2100, compared to 2009 for fresh marsh and more than $11 million for salt marsh. The estimates provided here are only small portions of what can be lost due to the decrease in habitat extent, and they highlight the need for protecting not only built infrastructure but also natural resources from sea level rise. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:431-443. © 2016 SETAC.
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While efforts to integrate ecosystem services into the management of coastal and terrestrial systems continue to advance, similar efforts for deepwater environments are still in the early stages of deliberation. To begin closing this gap,... more
While efforts to integrate ecosystem services into the management of coastal and terrestrial systems continue to advance, similar efforts for deepwater environments are still in the early stages of deliberation. To begin closing this gap, two workshops were held to engage participants in a discussion on ecosystem services provided by the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, and to facilitate the relative ranking of offshore ecosystem services using a non-monetary valuation scheme. Both workshops relied on a balanced representation of ocean users from multiple industry sectors, government and non-government organizations with interests in the deepwater Gulf. The following findings were made: (1) participants recognized the benefit of being able to rank multiple ecosystem services rather than limiting their attention to those services that were closely related to their respective constituents' interests; (2) both workshops yielded similar results, with food, raw materials (including hydrocarbons), and recreation being among the top three ranked ecosystem services; (3) participants in both workshops distinguished between direct (provisioning and cultural) and indirect (regulating and supporting) services; (4) there was a preference among participants to focus on ranking the direct services; and (5) participants of the workshops expressed that the role of the indirect services needed to be considered when designing monitoring and/or mitigation measures to protect the sustainability of the direct services. These results can be used in future discussions to further vet the viability of using such a non-monetary valuation scheme to assist in guiding the development or implementation of scientific and socioeconomic indicators to monitor and maintain the health of ecosystem services in order to try to meet stakeholder needs.