Coral Reef Economic Valuation

Tropical marine and coral reef ecosystems, including mangroves and seagrasses, are vulnerable environmental resources that provide significant economic goods and services and contribute to the livelihoods, food security and safety of millions of people around the world. The health of these resources is critical to human well-being. By accounting for coastal marine and coral reef ecosystem values in management decisions, we can sustain their flow of goods and services in the interest of current and future generations.

Recognizing the importance of economic valuations, the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) established an Ad Hoc Committee on Economic Valuation of Coral Reef Ecosystems in January 2008. The Committee, co-chaired by the Mexico-United States ICRI Secretariat and the World Resources Institute (WRI),  compiled an inventory of studies, articles and publications to support ICRI members in coral reef valuation.