What is the impact of our oceans and coasts on our nation's economy? A complete and accurate assessment of the value of our coastal areas has never been done. With the current and projected boom in population along our coastlines, economic data on these areas is becoming critically important.
Determining the true value of the coast goes beyond just the commercial activities that take place in and along our oceans. It includes less tangible elements, such as the value of spending a day at the beach, the importance of clean air and water, or the aesthetics of a beach view. Valuing the environment is complex and not without some controversy.
But coastal resource managers are asking for this information. Every day, they must make difficult decisions about how to responsibly use, as well as protect, our natural resources. Many of these decisions determine how public monies will be spent and how public resources will be impacted. Consistent and comparable data on the true value of the environment would help managers better determine and account for their investments, whether they be fiscal or natural.
In those situations where economic considerations may play a secondary role, coastal resource managers are still balancing issues and choosing responses. Having a complete economic analysis would provide pertinent information during the decision-making process.
As we learn from California in the cover story of this edition of Coastal Services, even having an incomplete picture of the ocean's economic value can have a substantial impact on state ocean and coastal management.
The cover article also provides information on efforts by states, universities, and the federal government—including NOAA—to provide regional and national data on ocean- and coast-related economic activities and resource trends.
You can also look for a session on this topic at the Coastal Zone '01 conference, which is being held July 15 through 19, 2001, in Cleveland, Ohio.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
