Why is Marine biodiversity important

The seas provide a unique set of goods and services to society, including moderation of climate, processing of waste and toxicants, provision of vital food, medicines and employment for significant numbers of people. Our coasts provide space to live and directly and indirectly create wealth, including millions of jobs in industries such as fishing, aquaculture and tourism.

Looking at ecosystems in terms of the goods and services they provide allows us to realise their full value and our dependence on those systems in the broadest sense. Exploitation of the environment for one purpose can alter the environment's ability to provide other goods and services, so this knowledge is also a way of understanding what we stand to gain and lose by exploitation of certain aspects of the environment. The main goods and services provided by marine ecosystems are:

• Resilience and resistance
• Disturbance prevention
• Nutrient cycling
• Gas and climate regulation
• Bioremediation of waste
• Biologically mediated habitat
• Food provision
• Raw materials, including ornamental resources
• Leisure
• Cultural values
• Information service
• Non-use value: bequest value and existence value
• Option use value