System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA)
In the Blue Carbon Lab we have experience in developing marine and coastal Environmental-Economic Accounts using the recently developed UN System of Environment Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounts (SEEA EA) framework.
As experts in marine and coastal ecosystem ecology, mapping, monitoring, and valuing ecosystem services, we are well placed to collate together the relevant information required by the SEEA to help inform management. Particularly, we are able to guide future management options (i.e. restoration) by using information within the SEEA.
Desktop methods
– Collating spatial data
– Merging ecological information to assess ecosystem condition
– Valuing physical and monetary ecosystem services
Case Study: Port Phillip & Western Port
This case study represents one of the first marine and coastal SEEA EA assessments in Australia and globally.
Using the information gathered as part of the Mapping Ocean Wealth Australia program, we conducted one of the first SEEA EA accounts in Port Phillip and Western Port. Specifically, we used existing information on the extent, services, and benefits of marine and coastal ecosystems, and developed an approach to assess the condition of these ecosystems. We also conducted additional processing on the data to make it suitable for environmental-economic accounting.
Together, this information on the extent, condition, services, and benefits of marine and coastal ecosystems was combined with potential management options to guide an assessment of how restoration actions could increase ecosystem services and benefits in the future. We found that while some sites had a higher return on investment that others, almost all sites had a net benefit of restoration (where ecosystem service benefits outweighed costs).
Project partners
This project was delivered in collaboration with the Conservation Science and Marine Mapping groups at Deakin, the IDEEA group, and The Nature Conservancy.
