Study finds coastal wetlands generate $90 million annually for Virginia communities

Findings led to the development of SHORE-BET, an online tool that helps local planners and landowners weigh long-term benefits of shoreline strategies

2025-08-20

(Press-News.org) A new study led by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS shows that tidal marshes, including both natural wetlands and man-made living shorelines, generate approximately $90 million annually in economic value for communities across Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.

Published in the journal Nature-Based Solutions and funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program (NA21NMF4570524-T1–01), the study combined ecological data, spatial modeling, economic valuation and stakeholder surveys to assess the current and projected benefits of marsh ecosystems. The economic valuations from the study were used to develop SHORE-BET (Shoreline Benefit Estimation Tool), a new, online tool designed to support coastal communities by estimating the economic benefits of marshes as well as living shoreline projects.

“This study looks at wetlands from a number of perspectives and puts research-informed values on the benefits they provide,” said Donna Bilkovic, professor and assistant director of the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS. “This data serves as the foundation for SHORE-BET, allowing local planners and individual landowners to better understand the potential environmental and economic benefits associated with living shoreline projects and marsh protection and restoration efforts.

The study accounted for numerous services provided by marshes and living shorelines, including storm protection, nutrient removal, carbon sequestration, habitat for fish and wildlife and recreation and tourism benefits. When combined, these were found to amount to 3.3% of the Middle Peninsula’s annual gross domestic product. Factoring in the potential for marsh expansion and broader adoption of living shorelines for erosion protection, the study estimates these benefits could increase to $168 million annually by 2050.

“Our survey results highlighted differences in the ways that stakeholder groups perceive benefits related to coastal marshes,” said Bilkovic. “Policymakers tended to prioritize storm risk reduction and ecological benefits, while local residents and anglers also placed a high value on recreation and fisheries.”

A new planning tool for coastal resiliency

Living shorelines have been shown to provide ecosystem services comparable to natural wetlands, with strong performance in reducing erosion and supporting biodiversity. In Virginia, living shorelines are required for erosion control projects where suitable. The study projects that, if adoption increases, there is the potential that more than 2,500 hectares of marsh could be enhanced or restored, delivering significant economic and ecological returns.

“Our goal in designing SHORE-BET was to create a user-friendly online platform to help coastal decision makers, planners and property owners explore the community benefits provided by living shorelines,” said Andrew Scheld, study coauthor and expert in fisheries economics at the Batten School & VIMS. “It’s among the first tools of its kind to integrate economic, ecological and geospatial data to guide shoreline management decisions.”

SHORE-BET allows users to calculate ecological service values for living shorelines and natural marshes, with the ability to input data specific to the user’s property or project. It provides projections of shoreline benefits through 2050, helping users assess long-term impacts of shoreline management strategies.

“By combining data from field research and community input, SHORE-BET can help ensure shoreline decisions reflect both science and stakeholder priorities, potentially fostering a shift toward a model focused on watershed-scale planning that maximizes shared benefits across communities,” said Bilkovic.

To learn more about the results of the study and how the researchers valued the benefits provided by marshes and living shorelines, visit the CCRM website.

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