SERVICES OBTAINED FROM THE COASTAL ECOSYSTEM

PROVISIONING SERVICES

(Acronym: Fish Beneath Water)

• Fish and other types of seafood
  Fish and other types of seafood from the oceans are the main dietary protein for more than one billion people. Over 100 million people, mostly fishermen operating on a small scale, earn a living directly from marine fishing. Greenland earns about 72 percent of its export income from fish products.
• Building and ornamental materials
  Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs can provide building and ornamental materials. Mangrove wood has been used for generations to build boats, as well as to provide materials for building houses and shelters. The wood can also be fired and converted to charcoal. Corals can be crushed and used to manufacture cement. Shells and coral pieces can also be converted into ornaments and sold as souvenirs.
• Water
  The desalination of seawater using desalination plants can produce fresh water. Moreover, Coastal bays and inlets can provide sheltered harbors for recreational and trading vessels. People often make bays deeper to build Harbour facilities. Wave energy and tidal energy can be harnessed from waves and tides and converted into electrical
  energy.
  Although not widely used, these forms of energy have great potential to generate electricity in the future. The power of waves could supply about 10 percent of the world’s energy needs. Tidal energy could potentially supply about 3 percent of the energy needs
  of the United States of America.

REGULATING SERVICES

(Acronym: Fish Swims (to) Shore) FSS

• Shoreline stabilisation (works like tetrapods)
  Coral reefs and mangroves cause waves to break and lose their energy. They help reduce the impact of shoreline erosion, especially during storms and high tides. Coral reefs and mangroves thus stabilise the shoreline by protecting the existing shoreline.
• Flood Prevention
  The presence of wide, sandy beaches, sand dunes, wetlands and coastal lagoons, can contain substantial amounts of water and thus reduce the likelihood of coastal flooding.
• Storm and natural hazard protection
  Mangroves protect the coast from storms and natural hazards such as tropical cyclones and tsunamis. A coastline vegetated with mangroves can absorb wave energy better than an open, sandy coastline, or a coastline where mangroves have been removed

CULTURAL SERVICES

• Recreational benefits
  Coasts allow some people to relax, be rejuvenated and be inspired. Some may use the coast for recreational benefits such as Swimming, sailing or taking a walk
• Aesthetic benefits
  Coasts attract tourists who enjoy the quietness of the sea and the scenery. The beauty of coasts can inspire people to write or draws and encourage them to appreciate nature
• Spiritual benefits
  Some people see the coasts as spiritual places. For example, the Tanah Lot Temple in Bali, Indonesia, is a temple by the shore dedicated to the sea gods.

SUPPORTING SERVICES

• Mangrove habitat
  Mangroves provide living creatures with food, protection from predators and grounds for breeding. The area between the roots, mud and water provides habitat and breeding ground for fish, shellfish and water birds. The dense network of roots together with the leaves and mud offer protection from larger predators.
• Beach habitat
  Beaches play key roles in the life cycles of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, birds and sea turtles. In the shallow, protected waters of the coastal zone, fish breed and grow before venturing into deeper waters. Shellfish anchor themselves onto rocks in the coastal zone, which is also home to creatures such as crabs and squid. Some birds find food among rocky shores.

Local and migratory birds such as the albatross, skua, and waders feed off marine life. Sea turtles lay their eggs deep in the beach sand. There are even species such as shorebirds which nest right on top of the sand on beaches. The living creatures that mangroves and beaches support also provide services to people.
For example, fish bred in mangroves may be sold for consumption.