Services Include:

• Economic Valuation
  SP has historically conducted a strategic program of economic valuation. This work is used in the management of coastal and ocean resources and in natural resource damage assessment. Priority areas for valuation currently include our Nation’s system of coral reefs, for which SP is contributing valuation work through the valuation of artificial and natural reefs, non-use values of coral reefs, and an extensive literature review.

• Socioeconomic Research and Monitoring Plans
  Socioeconomic monitoring is a critical function with which coastal and ocean resource managers can determine the impact and effectiveness of their management programs. SP, through the CORE program, has been in the leadership role in developing socioeconomic monitoring programs in our Nation’s system of National Marine Sanctuaries. CORE has also been instrumental in developing social science research plans in conjunction with state partners, the National Estuarine Research Reserves System (NERRS), and the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center. SP has also assumed a leadership role in the coordination and advancement of social science research in NOAA’s Ocean Service and is in the initial stages of developing a Social Science Plan for NOS.

• Marine Recreation Participation and Use
  One of the foremost pressures faced by coastal resources relates to recreation. SP is addressing this priority issue by co-leading, along with the US Forest Service, the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE), a multi-agency effort conducted periodically since 1960, which examines a broad set of issues related to recreation participation. Through the efforts of SP, marine recreation participation and use was included in the survey for the first time in 2000. An additional aspect of this project is a modeling effort which has resulted in forecasted participation and use.

• Spatial Patterns and Trends in Socioeconomic Data
  The need for easy access to socioeconomic data has been a genesis for the STICS web site, which offers, time series geo-referenced demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data. Analysis of income and employment data from this information can provide useful insights into the socioeconomic trends in the nation’s rapidly developing coastal regions, and can help coastal managers make more informed decisions regarding program priorities and delivery of services.

Subject Area Expertise:

• Demand modeling
• Economic impact analysis
• Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions
• Importance-satisfaction analysis
• Coastal and ocean resource use