Applying Ecosystem Services Analysis to the Shellfish Industry

Shellfish provide numerous essential ecosystem services that are valuable to humans, including nutrient uptake, water filtration, and provision of habitat for aquatic organisms. Ecosystem services analysis can be a valuable tool for examination and management of shellfish, and can be used in combination with other activities on a landscape-level. One example would be the examination of cumulative impacts within specific inlets of Puget Sound, which is especially relevant to the shellfish industry. Cumulative impacts analysis is a way to determine future use of an area given a variety of management decisions and projected growth within a water body. For example, harvest associated with geoduck aquaculture provides a net benefit in terms of nitrogen sequestration, while population growth represents a net impact to nutrient accumulation. This talk will review the general approach of ecosystem services analysis and how it can be incorporated into actions and management decisions associated with the shellfish industry.