Mapping services for an ecosystem based management along the Andalusian coastal zone (Spain)

The coastal zone is an area where a multitude of physical-natural, social and economic issues converge. The interactions among these elements are accentuated by the demographic concentration that characterises coastal areas all over the world. Coastal areas have the unique characteristic of being located in the connecting space between land and marine areas. The economic activities that take place on the coast require the services provided by terrestrial, intertidal and marine ecosystems for their proper functioning. In consequence, the main objective of this research is to identify and map ecosystem services provided by coastal ecosystems in the region of Andalusia (Spain) in order to move towards an Ecosystem-Based Management of this area.