The ecosystem services cascade perspective in practice: A framework for cost- benefits analysis in Marine Protected Areas. The study case of Portofino Marine Protected Area

This study represents a first effort to synthesise biophysical, ecologic information with economic measures. The principal aim is to fill the gap between ecology and economy and provide to territorial managers an operational tool able to assess both environmental and economic sustainability in marine protected areas (MPA). At this purpose a specific framework to assess natural capital value and to obtain a modified budget of MPA has been applied to Portofino MPA. The framework has been developed in the context of the EAMPA (Environmental Accounting in Marine Protected Areas) italian national project. The natural capital of Portofino MPA amounts to 4.18E+18 sej (equal to over 4 millions em€) if only benthic organisms are considered and to 9.80E+18 sej (equal to over 10 millions em€) if also fishes are included in the assessment. The modified balance here proposed includes both financial and biophysical/environmental fluxes. Benefits are significantly greater than costs, assuring that the MPA is able to maintain itself profitably. The results represent one of the first operationalization of the ecosystem theory and, in particular, of the ecosystem services cascade since the framework includes the assessment of the natural capital and the ES and the benefits it generates.