Overcoming the challenges of data scarcity in mapping marine ecosystem service potential

• Methods to map ecosystem services were developed for valuable marine areas.
• Multiple ecosystem services were mapped across a 13,900 km2 domain in New Zealand.
• Methods were based on simple ecological principles linked to biophysical data.
• Maps were verified though statistical comparisons to well-studied sub-domains.
• The approach encourages the use of ecology and ecosystem services in management.

Ecosystem services (ES) are a valuable way of defining the benefits derived from natural resources and are essential for balancing human exploitive uses with the preservation of natural capital. In marine ecosystems real world application of ES theory is hindered by inadequate knowledge of the distribution of communities and habitats and the ecosystem functions that they provide. Here, we present a new approach for mapping ecosystem service potential for multiple services when the details necessary for full quantification are unobtainable. By defining services from a series of principles based on current ecological understanding and linking these to marine biophysical parameters, we developed ecosystem service maps for the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. These maps were verified by statistical comparisons to available ecological information in well studied areas in the region. Such maps allow planners, managers and stakeholders to explicitly consider ES in ecosystem-based management (EBM) including marine spatial planning (MSP). Our approach provides a systems perspective, by emphasising connectivity between processes and locations and highlighting the potential range of trade-offs available for multi-objective management of marine systems.