Staff Spotlight: Dr. Elliott Campbell

Dr. Elliott Campbell directs the Center for Economic and Social Science within the department’s Chesapeake and Coastal Service. His expertise is in ecological economics—a field focusing on the interactions between people and the environment. 

Before his current position, he was a research faculty member at the University of Maryland College Park, where he also received his doctorate. He authored or co-authored nine articles in peer reviewed journals, most of which focus on ecosystem service valuation.

My work here centers on the Accounting for Maryland’s Ecosystem Services initiative. An ecosystem service can be broadly defined as a benefit people receive from the environment, and in our case, are those benefits which can be translated into an economic value. It’s my job to look at how ecosystem service values change across the landscape of Maryland. For instance, the service of flood prevention provided by marshes is most important in coastal areas adjacent to a potentially vulnerable population, while wildlife habitat is most valuable in a rural setting with intact natural habitats. We have produced maps of these services for the state, which we plan to release this summer.

The values of ecosystem services are of particular importance to the people of Maryland because when they are lost, they must either be replaced through ecological restoration with man-made alternatives (“gray infrastructure”), or the public must do without those benefits. If services are not replaced, we will eventually suffer the consequences, be it through human health impacts due to poor air or water quality, greater vulnerability to a changing climate, or a decrease in opportunities to enjoy wildlife watching, hunting or fishing. In all of those cases there are real consequences to both our quality of life and our state’s economy.

Our results find says that ecosystem service benefits are of a significant economic value, totaling more than $10 billion every year. As a state, we can use this information to help allocate our resources in a way that will maximize our resilience to future impacts and the benefits we receive from natural lands.

Overall, we are working to integrate this information into the way we prioritize land acquisitions, evaluate restoration opportunities and formulate policy. We are collaborating with stakeholders across the state and region, and are always looking for additional opportunities for partnership and feedback on how our work can be the most valuable for the people of Maryland. 

The Staff Spotlight is a new feature of the Chesapeake and Coastal Service’s In the Zone newsletter.