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MEDIA: PML's Dr Stefanie Broszeit writes for The Conversation UK on how to quantify the benefits the Ocean provides
29 October 2024
Dr Stefanie Broszeit, Senior marine ecosystem services scientist at PML, has written for The Conversation UK about her work quantifying the value of nature, to ensure it is protected.
Image above: a view out to Drake’s Island in Plymouth Sound, Devon. Plymouth Sound is the UK’s first national marine park.
“Nature protection, conservation and restoration is “not a trivial matter but key to human survival,” according to scientists quoted in a 2005 UN report. To demonstrate this, they developed the concept of “ecosystem services” – the benefits that people derive from nature. Over the next 20 years, this concept has been in constant development to reflect our growing understanding of how ecosystems work and how we benefit from them.”
“For many people, it feels wrong to take a human-centred view on nature. But for governments and conservation organisations, this concept is a useful tool. It helps us quantify the value of nature and make sure certain aspects are conserved and protected.”