Seagrass habitats are essential and vulnerable ecosystems with several key roles, from biodiversity hotspots to climate change mitigation. Their characteristics, current condition and potential benefits, are the main core of this study which presents one of the first applications of marine accounts for the European Mediterranean Sea. The assessment focuses on four marine and coastal ecosystem services (i.e. fish and raw biomass provision, blue carbon, and nature-based recreation) and relies on habitat modelling for the biophysical assessment and a diversity of economic valuation tools (e.g. resource rent, avoided costs, benefit transfer) for the monetization of benefits. The findings highlight the essential benefits provided by seagrass meadows for Mediterranean European countries. Accounting tables display the role of seagrass to enhance environmental and economic well-being and the support that accounting evidence can provide for conservation, restoration and marine spatial planning.

中文翻译：

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海草的实物和货币海洋生态系统服务：地中海案例研究


海草栖息地是重要且脆弱的生态系统，具有从生物多样性热点到缓解气候变化等几个关键作用。它们的特征、现状和潜在利益是本研究的主要核心，该研究提出了欧洲地中海海洋账户的首批应用之一。评估侧重于四种海洋和沿海生态系统服务（即鱼类和原始生物质供应、蓝碳和基于自然的娱乐活动），并依靠栖息地建模进行生物物理评估，并依靠各种经济估值工具（例如资源租赁、避免成本、利益转移）来实现利益货币化。研究结果强调了海草草甸为地中海欧洲国家提供的基本好处。会计表显示了海草在增强环境和经济福祉方面的作用，以及会计证据可以为保护、恢复和海洋空间规划提供支持。