Counting what matters: Modeling ecosystem services to support marine spatial planning in coastal British Columbia

Background/Question/Methods

Our oceans are peopled, and have been for thousands of years. Climate change and other human stressors are altering the ecosystems that have long supported livelihoods in coastal communities, yet our understanding of the ecology and management of coastal ecosystems still does not integrate human wellbeing, ecology and changing climate. Communities on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia are closely tied to the ocean for their livelihoods and wellbeing; they depend heavily on coastal ecosystems for locally harvested seafood, protection from storms, and spiritual and cultural values related to the ocean are universally important across the diverse communities. These benefits are threatened by climate change and multiple human activities. Recognizing and valuing human activities and their impacts on ecosystem services can enable diverse stakeholders to find common ground and facilitate decision-making that incorporates the true costs and benefits of natural resource management to the environment and society.

Results/Conclusions

We are partnering with the West Coast Aquatic Management Board to inform the creation of a marine spatial plan that balances the interests of multiple stakeholders. Here we present outputs from an analysis of ecosystem services under alternative marine spatial plans on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We will show how understanding the ecosystem service tradeoffs of different scenarios is helping to identify where marine uses should occur, to articulate connections between human activities that are often considered in isolation, to align diverse stakeholders around common goals, to bring science to the resolution of conflicts among different interests, and to make implicit decisions explicit.