Assessment of indirect use values ​​of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in Mayotte

Les récifs coralliens de Mayotte (342 km2), ainsi que ses mangroves (8,46 km2) et ses herbiers (7,60 km2) procurent des services écosystémiques dont les plus importants sont la protection côtière, la séquestration de carbone, le traitement des eaux et la production de biomasse halieutique. La quantité et la qualité de ces services diminuent de manière régulière depuis plusieurs années et elles devraient continuer de la sorte si aucune mesure n’est prise pour contenir les pressions anthropiques. La couverture corallienne des récifs frangeants a ainsi diminué de 60 % en 15 ans et celle du récif barrière de 15 % en 8 ans, alors que les fronts pionniers de Sonneratia des mangroves ont régressé de 13 % en 6 ans. La qualité écologique des masses d’eaux suggère quant à elle un état dégradé des herbiers. La valeur monétaire annuelle de l’ensemble de ces services est actuellement estimée à 151 millions d’euros. Si les écosystèmes étaient en parfait état écologique, elle s’élèverait alors à 188 millions d’euros. Cet article montre ainsi que la préservation des écosystèmes côtiers est primordiale d’un point de vue économique.Mayotte’s coral reefs (342 km2), mangroves (8, 46 km2) and seagrass beds (7,60 km2) provide important ecosystem services of which the most important are the coastal protection, carbon sequestration, water purification and fish biomass production. The quantity and quality of these services have been decreasing steadily for several years and should continue to do so if no action is taken to contain anthropogenic pressures. The coral cover of the fringing reefs and the barrier reef has thus declined respectively by 60 % in 15 years and 15 % in 8 years, while the pioneer front of Sonneratia for mangroves has declined by 13 % in 6 years. As for the water quality, it suggests a degraded state of seagrass beds. The estimated annual value of these services amounts to EUR 151 million. This value would then rise to EUR 188 million if the ecosystems were in pristine conditions. This article shows that the preservation of coastal ecosystems is essential from an economic point of view

Coastal protection assessment: a tradeoff between ecological, social, and economic issues

Marine coastal ecosystems are crucial to human populations in reducing disaster risk. Least Developed Countries are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise and storm surges. The Mauritanian coast, West Africa, ranks among the most vulnerable worldwide to sea-level rise, and coastal communities in the National Park of Banc d’Arguin (PNBA) are particularly at risk. Here, we assessed the service of coastal protection in PNBA by (1) mapping the coastal marine ecosystems with Sentinel-2 imagery and determining their spatial wave height attenuation rates; (2) assessing the vulnerability of villages and natural habitats to coastal hazard risk; and (3) assessing the applicability of coastal protection measures in the PNBA. We found that a total of 83% of the populated coastline presents a moderate to high risk of flooding and erosion, with Iwik and R’Gueiba being the most threatened villages in the PNBA. As for the ecological risk, two low-elevated islands, which support breeding colonies of birds, are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise. However, in other areas, the rupture in the dune cord created new lagoons that present valuable ecological and economic interests like the Lagoon of Bellaat. Improving the comprehension of wave attenuation provided by coastal habitats, combined with identifying the vulnerability and applicability of coastal protection measures, is essential for achieving the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction goals. In the PNBA, relocation of identified villages at risk is probably the best cost-effective solution with the least disturbance to both breeding and wintering birds. Protection of coastal ecosystems will also ensure a continued provision of other ecosystem services, including food supply for sea dependent populations, and contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals

Marine and coastal ecosystems and climate change : a public awareness survey

16th International Conference Littoral22, 12-16 September 2022, Campus de Caparica (Portugal).Hundreds of millions of people worldwide directly rely on marine and coastal ecosystems for their food, livelihoods and ways of life, yet these ecosystems are subject to a variety of pressures (UNEP, 2006; Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2015; Korpinen et al., 2019). These pressures include climate change - one of the most urgent challenges societies are currently facing, with “long-lasting or irreversible” adverse consequences predicted as a result (IPCC 2018). Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems are a pre-requisite for the continuing delivery of ecosystem services, such as the provision of food, climate regulation and carbon storage. Therefore, it is critical to achieve a more sustainable management and effective protection of such valuable ecosystems. Policy makers are increasingly aware of the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation on our coasts and oceans. As public opinion influence decision-making on the actions to take and contribute to the success of their implementation (Rasmussen et al., 2017), it is important to understand how well informed the public is about climate change impacts and solutions in marine and coastal systems. In recent years, significant efforts have been made by the scientific community to raise public awareness of climate change and the links between healthy marine and coastal ecosystems and ecosystem service provision, including their role in mitigating and adapting to climate change (Barracosa et al., 2019). However, there has been little consideration of how the public perceives the interlinkages between climate change and its effects on marine and coastal ecosystems. Instead, most efforts have addressed climate change perceptions (van Valkengoed et al., 2022) Mildenberger et al., 2019) and marine threats perceptions (Ankamah-Yeboah et al., 2020; Lotze et al., 2018), separately. In the scope of the research project on “Marine Coastal ecosystems Biodiversity and Services in a changing world” (MaCoBioS) funded by the European Commission, people’s views on climate change, the value of marine and coastal ecosystems and the threats facing they face, as well as potential management options were investigated.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Marine and coastal ecosystems and climate change : dataset from a public awareness survey

The dataset is the result of an self-administered online survey on public perceptions about climate change, the value of marine and coastal ecosystems, human impacts on them and their management. The survey was released in four languages, English, French, Spanish and Italian ('survey' folder). Potential respondents were provided with a participant information form, also available in four languages ('participant information form' folder). The final dataset comprises a total of 709 respondents. The dataset contains mostly numerical coding, except text entries in 9 columns. Version 2 of this dataset presents all responses in English. The corresponding codebook provides the questions and coding information.In the scope of the MaCoBioS research project (funded under EU Horizon 2020 grant agreement No 869710), this survey aims to better understand public perceptions about how climate change may affect the sustainable management of marine and coastal resources. The results of this survey will inform our work on developing clear policy advice on how to manage resilient marine and coastal ecosystems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio