Research subline

Assessment of ecosystem goods and services

We assess ecosystem services and the benefits they provide to society in terms of provisioning (food, raw materials), regulation (climate change, nutrient transfer) and cultural services (leisure and recreation in natural environments, existence values of emblematic species, cultural values associated with traditional activities).

We analyse the ecosystem functions and processes that underpin these services, as well as the anthropogenic pressures and impacts that can alter their provision. We also develop integrated assessments of ecosystem services, considering both their ecological and socio-economic dimensions.

Solutions

We develop methodologies to identify, map and quantify the services provided by marine ecosystems, such as coastal protection, blue carbon sequestration, biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and recreation.

Our ecosystem service inventories enable public authorities and productive sectors to integrate the value of natural capital into strategic plans, maritime spatial planning projects and sustainability policies.

We also study the ecosystem functions that contribute to these services and the human pressures that may affect them, with the aim of improving the management and conservation of the marine environment.

Diagnosis and valuation of ecosystem services

Integrated assessment of ecosystem services using environmental and socio-economic indicators.
Identification of key areas (“hotspots”) where the provision of ecosystem services is concentrated, such as cultural services (for example, opportunities for leisure and recreation on the coast), provisioning services (food, raw materials, energy) and regulating services (regulation of nutrients, CO₂ or biological control of species).
Physical, monetary and economic quantification of ecosystem services within Spain’s different marine demarcations (Marine Strategies).
Identification and holistic assessment of the categories of ecosystem services provided by a wide range of habitats and functional groups (plankton, seagrass meadows, holobionts, mesopelagic fish, pelagic fish, diadromous fish, etc.), covering a broad range of management contexts at both regional and international scales.

Human activities in the marine environment

Characterisation and mapping of human activities linked to the blue economy (marine renewable energy, deep-sea mining, blue wellbeing, sustainable leisure and tourism, aquaculture), as well as their pressures and impacts on the environment.
We make unified information available on the geographical location, spatial extent and various attributes of numerous marine and maritime human activities, at both local and international scales. The ultimate goal is for this information to be useful for institutions, public authorities, sectoral stakeholders and society at large.
We characterise the environmental conditions that determine the practice of each human activity in specific locations, integrating environmental data with information obtained through social research techniques (surveys, focus groups, individual interviews).

Our services

Integrated analyses that assess the impact of human activities on the marine environment and evaluate the ecosystem services that support social and economic well-being.

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Our products

Tools and resources that enable the identification, mapping and valuation of ecosystem services, including inventories and interactive platforms for environmental simulation, planning and assessment, as well as digital solutions.

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Oceanographic ships and craft

AZTI has its own and partner fleets to support oceanographic and fishery research, combining its own resources with the support of specialist companies and public institutions. This capacity ensures that scientific campaigns can be carried out at sea and in coastal areas with the highest technical and safety levels.