Advancing consistent socio-economic monitoring of coastal ecosystem restoration through collaborative metric development

Ecological restoration programs increasingly aim to provide socio-economic and environmental benefits. However, monitoring of socio-economic outcomes of these programs lags behind monitoring of ecological outcomes. Socio-economic methods are less established, managers have less experience, and metri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications earth & environment 2024-09, Vol.5 (1), p.537-11, Article 537
Main Authors: Olander, Lydia, Warnell, Katie, Mason, Sara, Karasik, Rachel, Tallis, Heather, Coffey, Kara, Hale, Christine, Shepard, Christine, Wowk, Kateryna, Yoskowitz, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptive management
Coastal ecology
Coastal ecosystems
Coastal management
Cognitive ability
Collaboration
Ecological monitoring
Economic impact
Economics
Ecosystem management
Ecosystem restoration
Ecosystem services
Ecosystems
Employment
Environmental monitoring
Environmental restoration
Expenditures
Monitoring
Psychological factors
Quality control
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomics
Water quality
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Summary:Ecological restoration programs increasingly aim to provide socio-economic and environmental benefits. However, monitoring of socio-economic outcomes of these programs lags behind monitoring of ecological outcomes. Socio-economic methods are less established, managers have less experience, and metrics used vary, stymieing evaluation and adaptive management. Here we demonstrate that logic models and stakeholder engagement can be used to identify core socio-economic metrics across various types of restoration, focusing on coastal restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. Across four major restoration types (oyster restoration, habitat restoration, recreation enhancement, and water quality improvement), core metrics were identified as changes in jobs, restoration expenditures, recreational activity, cognitive function, and subjective well-being. These metrics can provide a starting point for increased and more consistent monitoring of socio-economic outcomes. The collaborative, science-based, and replicable process we developed to identify core metrics can be applied to other ecosystems and management actions to expand monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic impacts.Changes in jobs, restoration expenditures, recreational activity, cognitive function, and well-being are core metrics to monitor the socioeconomic outcomes of ecosystem restoration in the Gulf of Mexico, according to an analysis combining expert workshops and ecosystem services logic models
ISSN:2662-4435
2662-4435
DOI:10.1038/s43247-024-01705-z