1. Flamborough Head: A MarBEF Case Study Site Daryl Burdon1 & Jon Atkins2 1 Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies (IECS), University of Hull 2 Centre for Economic Policy, The Business School, University of Hull

2. EU MarBEF Project www.marbef.org
“Aims to integrate and disseminate knowledge and experience on marine biodiversity, and contribute towards a decision support system for valuing marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning”
“Theme 3 of the programme encompasses socio-economics, including valuation of goods and services provided by coastal and marine ecosystems”

3. Why use the Ecosystem Goods and Services approach?
Integrative approach to identifying social, economic and environmental demands and pressures on ecosystems.
Allows linkages between human and ecological systems to be understood by all stakeholders.
Informs coastal managers and policy makers.

4. Ecosystem Goods and Services
Category
Good or service
Production services 1
Food provision 2
Raw materials
Regulation services 3
Gas and climate regulation 4
Disturbance prevention 5
Bioremediation of waste
Cultural services 6
Cultural heritage and identity 7
Cognitive values 8
Leisure and recreation 9
Feel good or warm glow
Option use values 10
Future unknown or speculative benefits
Over-arching support services 11
Resilience and resistance 12
Biologically mediated habitat 13
Nutrient cycling
From Beaumont et al., 2007

5. Lead research institution
MarBEF Study Sites
Study site
Lead research institution
Flamborough Head
University of Hull, UK
Isles of Scilly
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK
Pico-Faial Channel
University of Azores /
University of Wales
Belgian part of the North Sea
University of Ghent, Belgium
Lister Deep
Roskilde University, Denmark
Gulf of Gdańsk
University of Gdańsk, Poland
Atlantic Frontier

6. Why Flamborough Head? Well defined area.
Box 1: Current Site Designations
Flamborough Head and Bempton
Cliffs Special Protection Area (SPA).
Flamborough Head Special Area of
Conservation (SAC).
European Marine Site (EMS).
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Flamborough Headland Heritage Coast.
Dane’s Dyke Local Nature Reserve (LNR).
Flamborough Outer Headland LNR.
Flamborough South Landing LNR.
Well defined area.
Wide range of stakeholder involvement.
Of recognised national, European and international importance.

7. Goods and Services at Flamborough Head

8. Questionnaire Survey
The MarBEF survey was designed to gain insight into how visitors to the various case study sites value their marine biodiversity.
The Flamborough Head survey was undertaken between Tuesday 18th September and Tuesday 6th November 2007 at four locations around the headland.
230 questionnaires were completed including 222 ‘visitors’ and 8 ‘residents’.

9. Demographic of Respondents

10. Number of visitors interviewed from each postcode district
Length of visitor stay
Number of nights
Frequency
% of respondents
101 46
1-3 64 30
4-7 45 20
8-14 8 4
>14 3 1
Total
221
100

11. Reasons for visiting 1% 8%
40%
19% 5%
77%
36% 6%
22%

12. Participation in environmental related activities
94%
97%
21%
71%
50%
17%
30%

13. Marine Biodiversity at Flamborough Head
Group
Reported number of species
Source
Marine Invertebrates
270
George et al., 1988; Titley, 1988
Marine Fish
124
Jones et al., 2004a; Jones et al., 2004b
Sea Mammals 14
Sea Watch Foundation, 2007
Sea Birds 32
Jones et al., 2004a; N. Cutts, IECS, pers. comm., 2007
Marine Algae
112

14. Photo Montage 1

15. Valuation of Marine Biodiversity Conservation
“…Suppose the only way to prevent a loss of species living in the sea around Flamborough Head was to establish a neutral conservation trust fund which could only be legally used for marine conservation of various types. Would you be willing to contribute in a once only payment to such a conservation trust fund?...”
Willing to support
Frequency
% Frequency
Yes
140 63 No 82 37
Total
222
100

16. Maximum Willingness-to-Pay
“…What would be the maximum amount you would be willing to pay, in a once only payment to such a conservation trust, in order to avoid a decline in the number of species of marine invertebrates by 10% (c. 27 sp)?...”
Group n
Min (£)
Max (£)
Mean (£)
Std. Dev. (£)
Median (£)
Marine Invertebrates
139
0.00
100.00
12.26
17.90
10.00
Marine Fish
12.30
17.67
6.00
Sea Mammals
14.64
19.98
Sea Birds
13.71
19.50
Marine Algae
12.65
19.15
Marine Biodiversity
1.00
1,000.00
71.91
123.41
40.00

17. Our work is ongoing… Ongoing?
…clearly visitors value Flamborough Head’s marine biodiversity but how do these values compare with those offered at the other MarBEF sites?
Our evidence compliments that already available for Flamborough Head.
…we are assembling all such evidence to permit a more complete evaluation of the ecosystem goods and services provided by Flamborough Head.

18. Further Information D.Burdon@hull.ac.uk Website: www.marbef.org
Beaumont et al., ‘Identification, definition and quantification of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity: Implications for the ecosystem approach’. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54(3), pp
Burdon, D. & Atkins, J.P., in prep. ‘An initial economic evaluation of marine goods and services at Flamborough Head, UK’. IECS, University of Hull. Report to the EC.