Unlocking the Monetary contribution of Marine Ecosystem Services for Policy and Management Decisions Across ecoregions in Europe and Beyond

The field of marine ecosystem services valuation has gained significant attention due to its importance in informing sustainability and environmental strategies, both in Europe and globally. Recent years have witnessed a growing effort to quantify the economic and societal benefits provided by marine and coastal habitats, with a particular focus on supporting evidence-based decision-making in policy and management. Despite advancements in the identification and application of valuation tools and indicators, integrating these assessments effectively into regional, national, and EU-wide policy frameworks remains a persistent challenge. While some demonstration sites and case studies have advanced the practical use of monetary valuation of ecosystem services, even existing some strong initiatives developing ocean accounting, there is still a need for improved transference and harmonization of methods across large ecoregions to maximize impact and comparability for policymakers. Moreover, a comprehensive integration of valuation outcomes into broader objectives, such as fisheries management, coastal restoration, and conservation measures, is yet to be fully achieved.This Research Topic aims to bridge methodological and practical gaps in the application of marine ecosystem services valuation and more generally, ocean accounting for policy and decision-making. It seeks to highlight innovative approaches, lessons learned, and success stories that illustrate how monetary valuation and accounting can actively shape and optimize the design and implementation of nature-based solutions, nature-inclusive harvesting, and other management tools. Specifically, the Research Topic encourages contributions that not only present robust valuation studies, but also demonstrate how these evaluations are being operationalized in real-world governance and management settings across Europe and beyond. By assembling diverse experiences - including demonstration sites, living labs, and comparative regional analyses - the objective is to foster cross-regional learning and advance the use of economic evidence in marine decision processes.The Scope of this Research Topic includes research engaging with the transfer, application, and integration of ecosystem service valuation and ocean accounting into marine policy and management. The focus is on experiences from Europe and comparable ecoregions, while also welcoming insights from other regions to enrich comparative understanding. In particular, we seek contributions that address:- Innovative tools and indicators for monetary and economic valuation of marine ecosystem services- Mechanisms and case studies for integrating ecosystem service valuation into regional and national policy- Demonstration sites, living labs, or examples of operationalizing valuation in policy design, including nature-based solutions- Lessons learned and good practices for stakeholder engagement and policy uptake- Comparative studies that explore harmonization and transferability of valuation approaches across ecoregions- Policy recommendations for optimizing ecosystem services valuation in support of marine governance and management objectivesAppendix: We welcome the following article types: original research, reviews, case studies, perspectives, policy briefs, and methods papers. Topic editors: Arantza Murillas Maza, Andrea Belgrano, YAJIE LIU Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77991/unlocking-the-monetary-contribution-of-marine-ecosystem-services-for-policy-and-management-decisions-across-ecoregions-in-europe-and-beyond