GES4SEAS marked its presence at the 60th meeting of the Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA) held in Hangzhou, China, from September 2-6, 2024. This year’s theme, “Implementing Science-Based Solutions and Strategies for Coastal Resilience,” aligned perfectly with GES4SEAS’ mission, fostering discussions on coastal resilience and management. 

Valentini from the University of Aegean delivered a presentation titled “Monetary Valuation and Spatial Mapping of Recreational Ecosystem Service along Greek Coasts,” which won the award for the best oral presentation. This research emphasized the economic valuation of coastal recreational services, illustrating their substantial contributions to local and national economies and highlighting the importance of preserving these valuable ecosystems. 

Additionally, a poster titled “SEAS4GES: Optimising tool selection when applying EBM approaches to ecological assessment” was presented by Barnard S. and colleagues, underlining the innovative strategies GES4SEAS is developing for ecosystem management.  

Presentations by Mike Elliott on sustainable marine resources management and Jacob Carstensen on integrating diverse ecological indicators provided practical insights into the complexities of marine environmental management. 

These contributions demonstrate GES4SEAS’ commitment to advancing marine science and influencing global marine policy, further solidifying its role as a leader in marine ecosystem research and conservation.