A new study led by William & Mary’s Batten School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that tidal marshes, including both natural wetlands and man-made living shorelines, generate approximately $90 million annually in economic value for communities across the Middle Peninsula.
Published in Nature-Based Solutions and funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program, the study combined ecological data, spatial modeling, economic valuation and stakeholder surveys to assess the current and projected benefits of marsh ecosystems.
The economic valuations from the study were used to develop SHORE-BET (Shoreline Benefit Estimation Tool), a new online tool designed to support coastal communities by estimating the economic benefits of marshes, as well as living shoreline projects.
The study accounted for numerous services provided by marshes and living shorelines, including storm protection, nutrient removal,...