Welcome to Conservation Gateway

The Gateway is for the conservation practitioner, scientist and decision-maker. Here we share the best and most up-to-date information we use to inform our work at The Nature Conservancy.

Economic valuation of ecosystem services: A new impetus for shellfish restoration

Brumbaugh, Robert; Toropova, Caitlyn
12/1/2010
link DOWNLOAD FILE: DOWNLOAD FILE (1,157K)

What is an oyster worth? In restaurants along the Gulf of Mexico coast, where most of the U.S. oyster catch is landed these days, a dozen oysters will cost patrons somewhere around US$10. In New York City, one might expect to pay as much as three times that amount for specialty oysters that have been grown in the burgeoning aquaculture industry along the east coast of the U.S. But what is the value of an UNHARVESTED oyster, or an entire reef of oysters for that matter?

GO BACK »