| Summary: | ABSTRACT This report was commissioned under the SponGES project as a pivotal information it em (Deliverable 8.1) with a direct impact on resource management and conservation of deep-sea sponges in the North Atlantic. It is based on information available in the scientific literature at the time of writing, but also indicates the research areas where discoveries and research advances are shortly expected. The report is aimed at a generic public with no specialized knowledge on sponges or on economic valuation. It is outlined in a way to provide essential background information but makes reference to a comprehensive list of scientific publications for further insights. The initial part provides basic information on the definition of ecosystem services, on an ecosystem service classification framework, and on common approaches undertaken for ecosystem service valuation. In this introductory overview, the economic valuation of deep-sea sponges is placed in the wider context of ecosystem services provided by the deep sea. Common challenges encountered in the economic valuation of deep-sea sponges as well as deep-sea ecosystems are discussed, and a summary is provided of approaches found in the literature for the economic valuation of deep-sea ecosystem services. The ecosystem services provided by sponges were categorized under The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity ecosystem service classification. This classification distinguishes four main categories of ecosystem services: provisioning services; regulating services; habitat services; and cultural services. Four ecosystem services associated to deep-sea sponges, one for each category, were selected and used to exemplify the level of information needed for an economic valuation as well as common challenges and data gaps encountered. In particular, deep-sea sponges were analysed as a potential source for pharmaceuticals and biotechnology applications (provisioning services), as natural filtering systems of the deep sea (regulating services), as habitat for ...
|
|---|