Socioeconomic approaches to valuing marine wildlife forests: A roadmap for environmental economic valuation studies

Abstract

Marine wildlife forests, including coral reefs and seagrass beds, represent some of the most biodiverse and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth, yet their economic contributions remain inadequately quantified in policy frameworks. The lack of systematic approaches to economic valuation limits the effectiveness of conservation policies and international agreements aimed at marine biodiversity protection. We developed a comprehensive methodological roadmap through systematic literature review, analysis of international legal frameworks, and expert consultations. Our approach integrates established valuation techniques including contingent valuation, choice experiments, travel cost methods, and hedonic pricing while addressing unique challenges posed by marine ecosystems. The framework was validated through multiple case studies across different geographical and socioeconomic contexts. The roadmap provides structured guidance for identifying and classifying ecosystem services, selecting appropriate valuation methodologies, and integrating economic evidence with policy frameworks. Validation studies demonstrated the framework’s effectiveness in generating robust economic valuations, with estimated values ranging from thousands to billions of dollars depending on scale and scope. Case studies from Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific region showed successful integration of economic evidence into marine protected area planning and conservation policy development. Economic valuation can strengthen implementation of international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and support evidence-based marine conservation policies. The standardized yet flexible framework can be adapted across different contexts while maintaining scientific rigor. This work contributes to marine environmental economics by providing practical tools for quantifying ecosystem service values and supporting more effective marine conservation investments. Plain language summary Marine wildlife forests, such as coral reefs and underwater grass meadows, are like underwater rainforests that support incredible amounts of sea life and provide many benefits to people. However, we often don’t fully understand or measure their economic value, which makes it difficult to protect them effectively. This study creates a stepby-step guide for researchers and policymakers to calculate the economic worth of these underwater ecosystems. The guide shows how to measure different types of benefits, from tourism and fishing to protection from storms and climate regulation. By putting a monetary value on these benefits, we can better argue for their protection and make smarter decisions about marine conservation. This work is especially important as these ecosystems face increasing threats from climate change, pollution, and human activities. The guide can be used anywhere in the world and helps connect scientific research with international laws and policies designed to protect our oceans.