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The Socioeconomic Study of Reef Resources in
Southeast Florida and Florida Keys

	Program
	Partners
	Project Background
	Final Project Report--.pdf (10 mb)
	Executive Summary--.pdf (50 kb)
	Broward County Overview--.pdf (133 kb)

Program

The Socio-Economic Study of Reef Resources in Southeast Florida and the Florida Keys was the result of a coordinated effort by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. The two year project provided an economic value of reef resources in the region. This is useful in managing our resources for the benefit of both human use and the environment.

Partners

	Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Marine Fisheries Bureau of Marine Fisheries Management 620 South Meridian Street Mail Box # MF - MFM Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600
	Dr. Vernon Leeworthy (contact) National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration 1305 East-West Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 bob.leeworthy@noaa.gov
	Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resource Management 3323 Belvedere Road, Bldg. 502 West Palm Beach, Florida 33406-1548
	Monroe County Marine Resources 2798 Overseas Highway, Suite 420 Marathon, Florida 33050
	Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management 33 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 300 Miami, Florida 33130-1540
	Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division Marine Resources Programs 218 S.W. 1st Avenue Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
	Dr. Grace M. Johns (consultant) Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. 4000 Hollywood Boulevard Seventh Floor, North Tower Hollywood, Florida 33021 gmjohns@hazenandsawyer.com

Project Background

The Socio-Economic Study of Reef Resources in Southeast Florida and the Florida Keys was the first regional attempt to calculate the monetary value of artificial and natural reefs in Southeast Florida. The study used survey research to measure the economic impact and use-values of artificial and natural reefs over a 12-month period. The results of this investigation provided an economic value of these resources in relation to the local economies. This information enables marine resource managers and decision makers to identify the costs and benefits associated with those activities which impact and/or enhance reefs for better management of the shared resources.

The first step in this study entailed gathering information. Surveys of visitors and residents were conducted to collect activity, expenditure and willingness to pay data to allow the project team to estimate the economic value of southeast Florida's reefs to the counties and the reef users. Economic value is defined as the economic contribution of artificial and natural reefs in southeast Florida; the value that reef users place on maintaining the existing reefs in their current condition; and the value that reef users place on new artificial reefs in southeast Florida.

In June 2000, trained volunteers began interviewing general visitors and boating visitors in the quad-county area. The general visitor survey intercepted all visitors who were leaving the study site on or before the morning of the next day. The visitor boater survey intercepted all visitors who participated in reef-related activities using boats and who were leaving the morning following the survey. This survey was repeated during Winter 2001 in order to collect data reflecting the seasonality of visitors to the region. The resident boater survey was administered throughout the Fall of 2000 via a mailback survey. All of the data collected assisted in the assessment of the economic contribution of the region's reef-related recreation activities.

The project included the Summer 2000 and Winter 2001 visitor survey and a resident boater survey conducted through December 2000. The final report was produced in August, 2001.

For more information about the Socioeconomic Study, email Dr. Kenneth Banks or contact him at 954.519.1207.