The human dimensions of coastal ecosystem services: Managing for social values

Coastal management is driven by the values and priorities of society as expressed through social, political, and economic systems. Diverse resource management goals reflect what society wants from its surrounding environments as presented in enabling legislation and other resource laws. Today, coastal management encompasses decisions of what to regulate, what enterprises and initiatives to promote, and which ecosystem services are most important to citizens and businesses. Data based on the natural or physical sciences are important, but are just one input into this socially driven, value-based process. This paper offers an insight into why an ecosystem service approach using human dimensions as the major driver is becoming an increasing focus of coastal resource management.