This study aimed to estimate the economic value of seven marine and coastal ecosystem services1 in Vanuatu. It is part of the MACBIO (Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries) project, which aims to improve the management of marine and coastal biodiversity in Pacific Island countries. Marine and coastal ecosystems provide important benefits for society and contribute to the livelihoods, food security and safety of millions of people around the world. These benefits (called ecosystem services) are often not visible in national accounts or in business operations, and their value is usually only perceived when we lose them. Assigning monetary values to ecosystem services is a powerful tool which makes these benefits visible and may contribute to improving the wise use and management of the ecosystems that provide them.
