Abstract or Summary
The six Coastal Margin habitats (Sand Dunes, Machair, Saltmarsh, Shingle, Sea Cliffs and Coastal Lagoons) make up only 0.6% of the UK’s land area, but are far more important to society than their small area might suggest. The total value of the ecosystem services provided by the UK’s coast is estimated at £48 billion (adjusted to 2003 values), equivalent to 3.46% of Global National Income (GNI). As an island nation, coastal landscapes are part of our cultural heritage and sense of identity. The Coastal Margins are an interface between land and sea, and directly provide ecosystem services to adjacent terrestrial and marine habitats. The ecosystem services of greatest financial value are tourism and leisure (cultural) and coastal defense (regulating), but the relative importance of these services differs according to location.