Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts

by Patterson, Murray; Glavovic, Bruce

• ISBN13: 9781845423193
• ISBN10: 1845423194
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-05-30
• Publisher: Edward Elgar Pub

Summary

'This timely book is enhanced by its provision of diverse fresh perspectives on ways to better manage our deteriorating oceans and coastlines. It will be welcomed by all those who value a holistic approach to environmental policy and who appreciate the need for urgent but well thought out improvements in ocean and coastal management.' - Clem Tisdell, University of Queensland, Australia 'This book covers a wide spectrum of issues of practical significance to those concerned about the state of the world's oceans. Its principal contribution is to bring together an ecological economics perspective to the ocean world. In so doing, it broadens the vision of how we should understand the marine environment and, perhaps, what we can do to mitigate or even resolve these challenges.' - Quentin Grafton, The Australian National University This timely book offers a fresh view on how oceans and coasts are, and should be, managed. The urgency of this issue is increasingly being recognized, as critical limits to the economic exploitation of our oceans and coasts are reached. The authors argue that ecological economics is in a unique position to address this problem given its particular focus on interconnected ecological and economic systems. Four 'cornerstones' of this ecological economics approach to the oceans and coasts are presented; most importantly, sustainability is the overarching policy goal, rather than economic efficiency, as I soften emphasized in mainstream economics. Secondly, recognizing the biophysical limits and thresholds of marine systems is fundamental. Thirdly, a complex systems view is adopted, which has profound implications for managing marine systems in the face of intrinsic uncertainty, irreversibility and interdependent behaviour. Finally, the approach is necessarily methodologically pluralistic, given the complexity and multi-faceted character of marine ecological-economic systems. Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts is a unique book that will be warmly welcomed by ecological economists, researchers and academics of coastal and marine management and policy as well as natural resource and environmental economists. Policy advisors on oceans and coasts, coastal and marine managers will also find this book of great interest and value.

Table of Contents

Towards an Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts	p. 1
Foundational Ecology, Complexity and Science Issues
Global Ecology of the Oceans and Coasts	p. 27
Biodiversity of the Oceans	p. 51
Oceans and Coasts as Complex Adaptive Systems	p. 74
Economic and Other Values of the Marine Environment
Neoclassical Frameworks for Optimizing the Value of Marine Resources	p. 95
Non-Market Value of Ecosystem Services Provided by Coastal and Nearshore Marine Systems	p. 119
Ecological Shadow Prices and Contributory Value: A Biophysical Approach to Valuing Marine Ecosystems	p. 140
The Open Horizon: Exploring Spiritual and Cultural Values of the Oceans and Coasts	p. 166
Marine Sustainability: Integrating Ecology, Economics and Social Dimensions
Economic Drivers of Change and their Oceanic-Coastal Ecological Impacts	p. 187
Integrative Economy-Ecology Models for Marine Management	p. 216
Poverty and Inequity at Sea: Challenges for Ecological Economics	p. 244
Implementing an Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts
Minimum Information Management: Harvesting the Harvesters' Assessment of Dynamic Fisheries Systems	p. 269
Designing Property Rights for Achieving Sustainable Development of the Oceans	p. 289
Ocean and Coastal Governance for Sustainability: Imperatives for Integrating Ecology and Economics	p. 313
Summary and Future Challenges for an Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts	p. 343
Index	p. 357
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