The article discusses the importance of considering nonlinear ecological functions in ecosystem-based management (EBM) of coastal habitats. It challenges the common assumption that ecosystem services respond linearly to changes in habitat size, which often leads to "all or none" choices between preserving coastal habitats or converting them to human use. By analyzing wave attenuation data from various coastal habitats, the study shows that these relationships are rarely linear. Incorporating nonlinear wave attenuation in estimating coastal protection values of mangroves in Thailand reveals that the optimal land use option may involve integrating development and conservation consistent with EBM goals. More than one-third of the world's population lives in coastal areas, which are increasingly under pressure from human activities. Coastal ecosystems provide essential services such as storm buffering, fisheries production, and water quality improvement. However, these ecosystems are being degraded and lost at an alarming rate. EBM aims to reconcile these pressures by valuing ecosystem services and justifying the maintenance of natural systems. However, implementing EBM requires accurately assessing the true value of these ecosystems. The study uses field data from various coastal habitats to show that nonlinear relationships exist between habitat area and wave attenuation. This suggests that the assumption of linearity is likely inaccurate for many ecosystem services. Applying these nonlinear relationships to a case study in Thailand, the study finds that an integrated land use option involving some conversion and some preservation can yield the highest total value. This outcome also leads to a more equitable distribution of benefits among stakeholders. The study highlights the importance of incorporating nonlinear ecological functions in economic valuation of ecosystem services. This approach challenges the assumption that competing demands on coastal interface systems must always result in either conservation or habitat destruction. The case study of Thailand illustrates how combining ecological and economic analysis can have a significant impact on coastal EBM outcomes. If point estimates of these values are used to project linear relationships, it may force EBM decision-making into a simple "all or none" choice, which is at odds with EBM strategies that emphasize reconciliation between economic development and conservation.The article discusses the importance of considering nonlinear ecological functions in ecosystem-based management (EBM) of coastal habitats. It challenges the common assumption that ecosystem services respond linearly to changes in habitat size, which often leads to "all or none" choices between preserving coastal habitats or converting them to human use. By analyzing wave attenuation data from various coastal habitats, the study shows that these relationships are rarely linear. Incorporating nonlinear wave attenuation in estimating coastal protection values of mangroves in Thailand reveals that the optimal land use option may involve integrating development and conservation consistent with EBM goals. More than one-third of the world's population lives in coastal areas, which are increasingly under pressure from human activities. Coastal ecosystems provide essential services such as storm buffering, fisheries production, and water quality improvement. However, these ecosystems are being degraded and lost at an alarming rate. EBM aims to reconcile these pressures by valuing ecosystem services and justifying the maintenance of natural systems. However, implementing EBM requires accurately assessing the true value of these ecosystems. The study uses field data from various coastal habitats to show that nonlinear relationships exist between habitat area and wave attenuation. This suggests that the assumption of linearity is likely inaccurate for many ecosystem services. Applying these nonlinear relationships to a case study in Thailand, the study finds that an integrated land use option involving some conversion and some preservation can yield the highest total value. This outcome also leads to a more equitable distribution of benefits among stakeholders. The study highlights the importance of incorporating nonlinear ecological functions in economic valuation of ecosystem services. This approach challenges the assumption that competing demands on coastal interface systems must always result in either conservation or habitat destruction. The case study of Thailand illustrates how combining ecological and economic analysis can have a significant impact on coastal EBM outcomes. If point estimates of these values are used to project linear relationships, it may force EBM decision-making into a simple "all or none" choice, which is at odds with EBM strategies that emphasize reconciliation between economic development and conservation.