Wellbeing-ecosystem service bundles (WEBs) for adaptive coastal governance: assessing the current evidence

Marine and coastal ecosystem services provide the foundation for the wellbeing of coastal communities. While the importance of ecosystem services to coastal wellbeing is examined in a growing number of case-based research... [ view full abstract ]

Marine and coastal ecosystem services provide the foundation for the wellbeing of coastal communities. While the importance of ecosystem services to coastal wellbeing is examined in a growing number of case-based research studies, their complex relationships have yet to be systematically evaluated.  Following a systematic review protocol of articles published between 2008 and 2017, we evaluate the existing evidence on the interplay between wellbeing and ecosystem services in coastal communities around the globe (we refer to this relationship as wellbeing-ecosystem service bundles, or WEBs).  Specifically, we ask: How and where is the relationship between wellbeing and ecosystem services being measured?  How do different coastal groups derive wellbeing benefits from different ecosystem services?  What are the generalizable social and ecological conditions that lead to trade-offs?  And, how do we best track progress of policies and interventions designed to support wellbeing-ecosystem service bundles in coastal systems?  Building on these questions, we identity key trends and several gaps facing coastal and marine policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers who are working towards more adaptive and collaborative forms of coastal and marine governance under conditions of rapid change.