InVEST®

InVEST® is a suite of free, open-source software models used to map and value the goods and services from nature that sustain and fulfill human life.  

If properly managed, ecosystems yield a flow of services that are vital to humanity. Despite its importance, this natural capital from ecosystems is poorly understood, scarcely monitored, and, in many cases, undergoing rapid degradation and depletion.

Features of the tool

• Estimates how the current location, amount, delivery, and value of relevant ecosystem services are likely to change in the future within user-defined scenarios.
• Produces detailed maps and results that describe biophysical or economic data.
• Provides models for marine and coastal planning, including coastal protection, renewable energy (wind and wave), marine fish aquaculture, aesthetic quality, water quality, recreation, and habitat risk.