Ecosystem accounting to support coastal restoration decision-making
6 affiliations
- 1Centre for Nature Positive Solutions, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, 3000, Victoria, Australia
- 2Deakin Marine, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
- 3IDEEA Group, 219 Rathmines Rd, Fairfield, Victoria, 3078, Australia
- 4The Nature Conservancy, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
- 5Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
- 6School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Ecosystem accounting is a structured approach to compiling environmental and economic information. While accounts are typically used to compile data on past trends, they have an unrealised capacity to also be used to inform decisions by providing a structured approach to scenario evaluation of potential futures. We used the global standard for ecosystem accounting (System for Environmental Economic Accounting), to examine past trends and potential future restoration options in two large metropolitan bays, where data existed for tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrass. We assessed options for reversing the loss of these ecosystems and although the net benefit varied between sites, we found that if all sites were restored, the overall investment-benefit ratio would be 10.5, resulting from AUD$100 million of ecosystem services from an investment of AUD$8.5 million. This study highlights the advantage of structured approaches to data compilation through ecosystem accounts, and consideration of ecosystem dynamics and response to restoration actions, to inform management decisions.
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BibTeX
@article{carnell2026ecosystem,
title = {{Ecosystem accounting to support coastal restoration decision-making}},
author = {Paul E. Carnell and Reiss Mcleod and Mary Young and Chris Gillies and Carl Obst and Peter I. Macreadie and Daniel Ierodiaconou and Simon Reeves and Mark Eigenraam and Holger Jänes and Jaya Kelvin and Emily Nicholson},
journal = {Environmental and Sustainability Indicators},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.indic.2026.101550},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101550},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ecosystem accounting to support coastal restoration decision-making
AU - Paul E. Carnell
AU - Reiss Mcleod
AU - Mary Young
AU - Chris Gillies
AU - Carl Obst
AU - Peter I. Macreadie
AU - Daniel Ierodiaconou
AU - Simon Reeves
AU - Mark Eigenraam
AU - Holger Jänes
AU - Jaya Kelvin
AU - Emily Nicholson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
DO - 10.1016/j.indic.2026.101550
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101550
AB - Ecosystem accounting is a structured approach to compiling environmental and economic information. While accounts are typically used to compile data on past trends, they have an unrealised capacity to also be used to inform decisions by providing a structured approach to scenario evaluation of potential futures. We used the global standard for ecosystem accounting (System for Environmental Economic Accounting), to examine past trends and potential future restoration options in two large metropolitan bays, where data existed for tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrass. We assessed options for reversing the loss of these ecosystems and although the net benefit varied between sites, we found that if all sites were restored, the overall investment-benefit ratio would be 10.5, resulting from AUD$100 million of ecosystem services from an investment of AUD$8.5 million. This study highlights the advantage of structured approaches to data compilation through ecosystem accounts, and consideration of ecosystem dynamics and response to restoration actions, to inform management decisions.
SN - 2665-9727
ER -