Assessment of Stakeholder's Perceptions of the Value of Coral Reef Ecosystem Services: The Case of Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park

Abstract

Ecosystem services is a concept broadly applicable to describe environmental interrelations with human activities. It serves as a practical instrument for assessing the success of resource management in natural reserves, with the goals of maximising conservation effort and achieving sustainable use. The Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park (GMMTP) has been extensively researched as a marine protected area centred on anthropocentric activities of marine-based tourism. However, there still a lack of research to address the full scope of ecosystem services derived from the coral reef ecosystem. From an ecosystem services viewpoint, the study's objectives were to define the services obtained from the GMMTP's coral reef ecosystem, relevant stakeholders, and how their utilisation activities were posed as drivers of changes that reflect the flow of services and the possible implications of these. Marine tourism, capture fisheries, and land-based activities were identified as services impacting upon the regulating and supporting services, with the resultant compounding externalities potentially degrading the services' utilisation value. Although there have been certain changes in community behaviour that may reduce the intensity of the impacts, the present prediction of service flow still confirms the previous statement. The results provided insight into current resources management implications on the state of ecosystem services. Overall, failing to recognise the causes that drives the interaction of these ecosystem services will increase the risk of incurring unexpected trade-offs, restricting the potential for resources' synergies, and eventually causing drastic and irreversible changes in the provision of coral reef ecosystem services in the GMMTP.

Keywords: Gili Matra; MPA; coral reef; ecosystem services; resources management; social perception; stakeholder.

Figure 1

Map of Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park zoning system (Adapted and Modified from [11].)

Figure 2

Different typologies of the stakeholder groups based on their relevance and influence over the ES (Adapted and modified from Figure 3 in [1]).

Figure 3

Assessment result of the local stakeholder groups of GMMTP. The “key stakeholders” are indicated by high influence (Y Axis) and high relevance (X Axis) values (highlighted in the upper-right quadrant).

Figure 4

Four quadrant matrixes depicting stakeholder’s valuation for (A) Ecosystem Services criticality, and (B) Ecosystem Services priority; in the coral reef ecosystem of the GMMTP.

Figure 5

The location of key ecosystem services at the GMMTP coral reef: (A) Marine Tourism; (B) Capture Fisheries; (C) Biodiversity Benefit/Sanctuary Zone (Supporting Services), and; (D) Coastal Protection (Regulating Services).

Figure 6

Conceptual diagram of the interaction of ecosystem services in the GMMTP coral reef ecosystem.