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Abu Dhabi is rich in natural capital and heritage – and nowhere is this truer than along its spectacular coast.

White sand beaches, azure waters, coral reefs, offshore fishing areas, mangroves, seagrass beds replete with the world’s most important population of dugongs, salt marsh, sabkha, and other coastal features that characterise Abu Dhabi’s marine biodiversity and are testimony to the productivity of these systems. Ecosystem services – the benefits that nature provides humanity – have been identified and preliminarily assessed. This study takes that one step further towards robust quantification of coastal ecosystem services values, focusing on the role that natural capital plays in maintaining water quality and preventing outbreaks of harmful algal blooms.