Prioritising sites for coastal restoration based on a diversity of societal, cultural and ecological outcomes

Objectives for the restoration of coastal ecosystems (e.g., mangroves, seagrass meadows, saltmarshes, and oyster reefs) are commonly articulated in terms of ecological integrity, habitat provision, or biodiversity recovery. In parallel, restoration initiatives are increasingly framed as nature-based solutions intended to deliver instrumental ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, shoreline stabilisation, and flood risk reduction. While these outcomes are undeniably important, such a framing tends to privilege a relatively narrow subset of benefits and risks underrepresenting a broader range of social, cultural, and relational values associated with coastal environments. Restoration can, for example, enhance access to coastal spaces for recreation, strengthen place-based identities and cultural practices, foster social cohesion, and generate local employment opportunities through long-term stewardship and monitoring activities.

 

Failure to account for this diversity of benefits may bias the identification of restoration priorities, leading to the systematic undervaluation of sites that are ecologically comparable but socially or culturally distinct. Consequently, restoration planning that explicitly integrates multiple value dimensions has the potential to alter both the spatial distribution and the societal outcomes of restoration investments. Here, we apply the IPBES Nature Futures Framework (NFF), a recently developed global biodiversity scenarios framework grounded in the coexistence of intrinsic, instrumental, and relational values of nature, to inform the prioritisation of coastal restoration actions.

 

Using case studies from tropical Queensland, Australia, and temperate coastal systems in Aotearoa New Zealand, we demonstrate how considering multiple, co-occurring nature values reveals alternative restoration pathways that would not emerge from biophysically oriented assessments alone. These scenarios illustrate how restoration strategies can simultaneously support biodiversity conservation, strengthen local and regional economies, and enhance human well-being. Notably, the NFF foregrounds the role of Indigenous knowledge systems, governance arrangements, and cultural connections to place, while also emphasising non-material benefits that have historically been marginalised in formal decision-making processes. Integrating such perspectives provides a more comprehensive and socially robust foundation for coastal restoration policy and practice.