Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Ecosystem
category
Ecosystem
service
Monetary
value
Definition
Raw materials
£117 million The extraction of marine organisms for all
purposes, except human consumption
Supporting
Nutrient cycling
£1.3 billion
The storage, cycling, and maintenance of
availability of nutrients mediated by living marine
organisms
Resilience and
resistance
N/A
The extent to which ecosystems can absorb
recurrent natural and human perturbations and
continue to regenerate without slowly degrading or
unexpectedly flipping to alternative states
Regulating
Gas and climate
regulation
£8.2 billion
The balance and maintenance of the chemical
composition of the atmosphere and oceans by
marine living organisms
Biologically
mediated habitat
N/A
Habitat which is provided by living marine
organisms
Disturbance
prevention and
alleviation
£440 million The dampening of environmental disturbances by
biogenic structures
Bioremediation of
waste
N/A
Removal of pollutants through storage, dilution,
transformation, and burial
Cultural
Cultural heritage
and identity
N/A
The cultural value associated with the marine
environment e.g. for religion, folklore, painting,
and cultural and spiritual traditions
Cognitive values
£453 million Cognitive development, including education and
research, resulting from marine organisms
Leisure and
recreation
£1.4-3.4
billion
The refreshment and stimulation of the human
body and mind through the perusal and engagement
with living marine organisms in their natural
environment
