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Expanding and Deepening the Application of Cultural Ecosystem Services in Estuary Stewardship and Management

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About the project

Ecosystem service assessments are a top priority at many reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. However, within ecosystem services research, there is a critical gap surrounding the equitable representation of cultural ecosystem services (CES) — one of four main categories of ecosystem services (the others being supporting, provisioning, and regulating services). In collaboration with Reserve partners in Heʻeia and Kachemak Bay, this project aims to advance the equitable representation of CES in estuary stewardship and management within and beyond the NERRS. To do so, the project team implemented an interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach, including the development of informational materials for diverse end users.

About this resource

This factsheet summarizes information to strengthen the conceptual foundation and meaningful application of cultural ecosystem services (CES) in the NERRS. Based on a scan of existing resources on the topic, the document synthesizes background information about CES, an overview of CES methods, and recommendations for advancing application that may be relevant for Reserve staff, partners, and collaborators across the national network. An expanded summary will be made available in the near future.

Full citations for all sources cited in this factsheet are available in the Bibliography of References.