Promoting marine and coastal ecosystem functions through direct economic incentives

Sited at a critical juncture of terrestrial and marine life, marine and coastal ecosystems (MCEs) provide us with indispensable ecosystem goods and services. Yet, these ecosystems continue to be undermined by multiple drivers and pressures, from population growth and urbanization to sea-level rise and coastal inundation. The dynamics that influence MCEs are complex and operate and interact at multiple scales; they also occur within given governance contexts. There is, therefore, a critical need for interrogation of existing governance regimes for MCEs. Economic incentive mechanisms fall within the purview of these governance regimes and could be employed to incentivize the sustenance of the ecosystem functions provided by MCEs (Mohammed, 2012).