Marine Transportation

The U.S. marine transportation system includes 500,000 square nautical miles of navigationally significant waters. Water is the leading transportation mode for international freight transported to and from the United States. Vessels moved 41.9 percent of the value and 70.7 percent of the weight of U.S. international trade in 2018 (US DOT 2020). NOAA is responsible for providing real-time oceanographic data, weather information, and other navigation products to promote safe and efficient navigation within U.S. waters. As ships get larger, the need for these products continues to grow. NOAA plays an important role in helping ships to avoid collisions, allisions, and groundings and in making marine transportation in the US efficient and competitive.   

NOAA’s Role:

• NOAA’s forecasts reduce annual shipping traffic exposure in the North Atlantic and North Pacific by 44%, saving some $135 million annually. This is due mostly to avoided losses in the container ship trades, primarily lost containers and damage to ships, with $77 million/year in net avoided losses on the Pacific and $47 million/year on the Atlantic. – Kite-Powell, Hauke. “Benefits to maritime commerce from ocean surface vector wind observations and forecasts.” NOAA National Weather Service, Washington, DC, USA (2008).
• The NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) decreases vessel transits by maximizing the use of channel depths, reduces vessel transit delays, enhances oil pollution remediation efforts, reduces commercial and recreational marine accidents (collisions, allisions, and groundings), and enhances commercial fishing. The annual benefit of implementing PORTS at the 175 busiest seaports were estimated to be $300 million in 2010 ($330 million in 2016) – Wolfe, K. E. and MacFarland, D. (2016). A Valuation Analysis of the Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS®), Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics 3(1), article 12. and Wolfe, Eric and Mitchell, Kenneth N. (2018) “Allisions, Collisions and Groundings: Estimating the Impact of the Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS(R)) on Accident Reduction,”Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 4. 
• PORTS generated significant benefits owing to: lower commercial marine accident rates and resultant reductions in morbidity, mortality and property damage; reduced pollution remediation costs; and, increased productivity associated with operation of more fully loaded commercial vessels. Evidence also suggested additional benefits from heightened commercial and recreational fish catch and diminished recreational boating accidents. – Wolfe, K. E. and MacFarland, D. (2016). A Valuation Analysis of the Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS®), Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics 3(1), article 12.
• A 2020 NOAA study of the effects of implementing precision navigation technology found that providing an extra foot of draft in the ports of the Lower Mississippi could lead to a decrease of $200M – $440M in operation costs for ships. For the Port of New York/New Jersey an extra foot of draft would lead to $216M-$472M reduction in operating expenses. Precision navigation technology will play a key role in allowing large ships with reduced under keel clearance to safely and effectively navigate US ports. Eastern Research Group (2020) Precision Navigation Socioeconomic Study, report prepared for NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Lexington, MA.

Why It Matters

• In 2018 Marine Transportation and Warehousing reliant on U.S. oceans and Great Lakes generated $58.8 billion in gross output (revenue) and created $25.3 billion in value added activity  (i.e gross domestic product).  U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020)
• There were 198,000 full and part time employees working in ocean-related Transportation and Warehousing. Total compensation (wages & benefits) in this sector was $20.1 billion. (Average compensation per person more than $101k) (BEA 2020) – U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).
• In 2019 the value of US imports was more than $2.49 trillion and waterborne cargo accounted for 674,918,000 short tons with a value of $1.12 trillion. The value of U.S. exports was $1.64 trillion and waterborne cargo accounted for 875,975,000 short tons with a value of $589 billion. Wolfe, Erik. “Transportation Statistics Primer” National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD, March 16, 2020
• U.S. seaports supported or impacted $5.4 trillion in economic activity in 2018, 26% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Martin Associates. (2019, March). 2018 National Economic Impact of the U.S. Coastal Port System. Report prepared for the American Association of Port Authorities. 
• The international liner shipping industry transported approximately 130 million containers in 2016, with an estimated value of more than $4 trillion. From 2014 to 2017, the average number of containers lost at sea excluding catastrophic events was 612. When catastrophic losses (ship groundings, structural failures, and collisions) are included, the total containers lost at sea averaged 1,390. – World Shipping Council (2017). Containers Lost at Sea 2017 Update.
• The estimated average annual loss to container shipping (lost containers and damage to vessels) from extratropical (mid latitude) storm conditions was $250 million per year in the North Pacific and $120 million per year in the North Atlantic – Kite-Powell, Hauke. “Benefits to maritime commerce from ocean surface vector wind observations and forecasts.” NOAA National Weather Service, Washington, DC, USA (2008).

References

Eastern Research Group (2020) Precision Navigation Socioeconomic Study, report prepared for NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Lexington, MA.

Kite-Powell, Hauke. “Benefits to maritime commerce from ocean surface vector wind observations and forecasts.” NOAA National Weather Service, Washington, DC, USA (2008).

Martin Associates. (2019, March). 2018 National Economic Impact of the U.S. Coastal Port System. Report prepared for the American Association of Port Authorities.

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020)

U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Port Performance Freight Statistics in 2018, Annual Report to Congress 2019 (Washington, DC: 2020). https://doi.org/10.21949/1504598

Wolfe, K. E. and MacFarland, D. (2016). A Valuation Analysis of the Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS®), Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics 3(1), article 12. 

Wolfe, Eric and Mitchell, Kenneth N. (2018) “Allisions, Collisions and Groundings: Estimating the Impact of the Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS(R)) on Accident Reduction,”Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 4. 

Wolfe, Erik. “Transportation Statistics Primer” National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD, March 16, 2020

World Shipping Council (2017). “Containers Lost at Sea 2017 Update”

Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat. We provide vital services for the nation: productive and sustainable fisheries, safe sources of seafood, the recovery and conservation of protected resources, and healthy ecosystems—all backed by sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management.    For more information, please visit the NOAA Fisheries Website.

NOAA’s Role

NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries has five regional offices, six science centers, and more than 20 laboratories around the U.S. We work with partners across the nation to monitor, assess and predict the status of fish stocks, and to set catch limits, ensure compliance with fisheries regulations, and reduce bycatch to protect and sustainably manage the nation’s fisheries. Recent accomplishments include:

• Advanced restoration of Gulf of Mexico resources affected by the 2010 oil spill, completing 43 projects totaling $117 million to restore coastal habitats, oysters, recreational uses, and water quality.
• Started a new, more accurate method in 2019 to estimate the number of trips taken by recreational anglers that will improve our understanding of marine ecosystems’ health and better guide management decisions.
• Led an investigation into fraud in 2019 where nearly 400,000 pounds of foreign crab meat was falsely labeled as ‘Product of USA,’ protecting industry members who abide by the rules and consumers from fraud schemes.
• Provided $1.5 million in 2017 to support regional aquaculture pilot projects. The 14 selected projects are developing techniques and business models to grow domestic seafood production and addressing industry barriers.
• Established the Seafood Import Monitoring Program in 2018 to collect traceable data on 13 imported fish species to help prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated seafood from entering U.S. commerce.
• Released approximately 200,000 hatchery-reared Chinook salmon in 2018 into newly restored habitat to establish additional populations of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon and recover these endangered salmon.

Why It Matters

U.S. fisheries are among the world’s largest and most sustainable. We have jurisdiction over 164 endangered and threatened marine species, including 66 foreign species. The Fisheries of the United States report (2018) compiled some key fisheries statistics as follows:

• Commercial landings (edible and industrial) by U.S. fishermen at ports in the 50 states were 9.4 billion pounds valued at $5.6 billion in 2018. Finfish accounted for 88 percent of the total landings and 45 percent of the value. Commercial landings by U.S. fishermen at ports outside the 50 states provided an additional 441.1 million pounds valued at $308.3 million.
• Aquaculture (freshwater plus marine) production was estimated to be 625.7 million pounds with a value of $1.47 billion in 2017.
• Recreational finfish catch, including fish kept and fish released (discarded) on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts (including Alaska and Hawaii), was an estimated 956 million fish in  2018.

According to the Fisheries Economics of the United States report, the U.S. commercial fishing and seafood industry and recreational fishing generated $212 billion in sales impacts, contributed $100 billion to gross domestic product (GDP), and supported 1.7 million full- and part-time jobs in fishing and across the broader economy.

References

National Marine Fisheries Service (2020) Fisheries of the United States, 2018. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Current Fishery Statistics No. 2018 Available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ national/commercial-fishing/fisheries-united-states-2018

Ocean Energy and Mining

The ocean is an important source of mineral and hydrocarbon energy resources. There are active efforts underway in the U.S. and globally to develop ocean-based renewable energy and exploit deep seabed minerals. NOAA’s expertise is essential as we search the ocean for new sources of energy. Our fleet of research ships and innovative underwater exploration vehicles enhance NOAA’s ocean research and exploration initiatives.

Haugan, P.M., L.A. Levin, D. Amon, M. Hemer, H. Lily and F.G. Nielsen. 2020. What Role for Ocean-Based Renewable Energy and Deep Seabed Minerals in a Sustainable Future? Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. www.oceanpanel.org/blue-papers/ocean-energy-and-mineral-sources.

NOAA’s Role

• The NOAA Coast Survey maintains the nation’s nautical charts and publications for U.S. coasts and the Great Lakes. They create and maintain more than a thousand charts covering 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.4 million square nautical miles of water https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/
• NOAA provides foundational information and services to support renewable and conventional energy siting and operations. NOAA provides information ranging from forecasting winds and the onset of storms to the timing and location of endangered whale migrations. Through research pilots and partnerships, NOAA also works closely with federal partners and industry. https://www.energy.noaa.gov/
• U.S. engagement in seabed mining is regulated by the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, which is administered by NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries program. Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act  30 U.S.C. §§ 1401-1473(2002). https://www.gc.noaa.gov/gcil_seabed_management.html
• NOAA is a vice chair of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project. The ECS is that portion of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from shore. The mission of this project is to establish the full extent of the U.S. continental shelf, consistent with international law. https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/ecs/

Why It Matters

Ocean mining and minerals

• In 2018 offshore mining generated $80.4 billion in gross output (revenue) and created $48.7 billion in value added (Gross Domestic Product) activity. Oil and gas extraction accounted for $46.8 billion of the value added, and sand and gravel mining accounted for $1.9 billion. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).
• There were more than 81,000 full- and part-time employees employed in ocean related mining industries with total compensation (wages & benefits) in this sector $10.1 billion. (Average compensation per person more than $124k) Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).
• Billions of dollars in resources, including rare earth minerals used in modern electronics, lay on and under the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf. A 2000 UN study estimated the value of such resources at $1.2 trillion. Murton, Brambley J., Lindsay Parsons, Peter Hunter, Peter Miles (2000) Global Non-Living Resources On The Extended Continental Shelf: Prospects at the Year 2000. International Seabed Authority

Conventional Utilities

• In 2018 coastal power generation plants contributed $3.3 billion to GDP. There were 5,000 full and part time employees in this industry with total wages of $646 million. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).

Offshore Wind

• As of 2018, there were 23 GW of offshore wind capacity installed around the world. According to projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global offshore wind capacity is expected to double between 2018 and 2023 and increase 15-fold by 2040. 
• In the U.S., the use of wind energy is expected to grow. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management has tendered over 15 licenses for offshore wind development, capable of supporting 21 GW of offshore capacity as of 2019. IEA projects that the US will add 40 GW of offshore wind capacity and invest $100 billion by 2040. 
• Offshore wind in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, has the technical potential to provide close to 6,000 Terawatt-hours of electricity per year. This is twice the projected level of electricity demand for the U.S. in the year 2040. IEA (International Energy Agency). 2019. Offshore Wind Outlook 2019. World Energy Outlook Special Report. https://www.iea.org/reports/offshore-wind-outlook-2019

References

Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act  30 U.S.C. §§ 1401-1473 (2002). https://www.gc.noaa.gov/gcil_seabed_management.html

Haugan, P.M., L.A. Levin, D. Amon, M. Hemer, H. Lily and F.G. Nielsen. 2020. What Role for Ocean-Based Renewable Energy and Deep Seabed Minerals in a Sustainable Future? Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. www.oceanpanel.org/blue-papers/ocean-energy-and-mineral-sources.

International Energy Agency. 2019. Offshore Wind Outlook 2019. World Energy Outlook Special Report. https://www.iea.org/reports/offshore-wind-outlook-2019

Murton, Brambley J., Lindsay Parsons, Peter Hunter, Peter Miles (2000) Global Non-Living Resources On The Extended Continental Shelf: Prospects at the Year 2000. International Seabed Authority

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).

Recreation and Tourism

NOAA’s coastal programs and services help keep the growing and important tourism and recreation industries strong by bringing together science-based resource management, education, awareness, and public engagement to protect marine species while allowing economic and recreational opportunities. 

NOAA’s Role

• NOAA manages the use of coastal and marine environments by regulating fisheries, establishing a network of marine parks and sanctuaries, and protecting marine mammals, and threatened and endangered species. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2018. NOAA’s Contribution to the Economy; Powering America’s Economy and Protecting Americans. https://www.performance.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/NOAA-Contribution-to-the-Economy-Draft-24-4oct2018.pdf
• NOAA ensures public access to marine and coastal resources by creating or enhancing hundreds of access points, such as fishing piers and boat ramps, each year. From 2008 to 2011, the agency’s partners developed 470 new access sites and enhanced 730 access sites with new enhancements, such as dune walkovers, boat ramps, and fishing piers. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The National Coastal Zone Management Program Measuring Performance: Public Access. https://coast.noaa.gov/data/czm/media/czmperfaccess.pdf
• NOAA plays a significant role in protecting a variety of aquatic species, including marine mammals, and promoting access to coastal resources and marine locations. NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The network includes a system of 13 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Marine Sanctuary System. https://nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/media/archive/about/national-marine-sanctuary-system.pdf
• Marine sanctuaries are popular ecotourism destinations. In 2016, more than 86 million people participated in ecotourism—a 20 percent increase from 2006. They spent $75.9 billion on wildlife-watching equipment, cameras, wildlife food, travel, and books. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/fhw16-nat.pdf

Why It Matters

• The U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2 percent ($427.2 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017. The inflation-adjusted (real) GDP for the outdoor recreation economy grew by 3.9 percent in 2017, faster than the 2.4 percent growth of the overall U.S. economy.  Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U.S. and Prototype for States, 2017. https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation
• The outdoor recreation activities are grouped under three categories and the share of each category’s contribution to the outdoor recreation economy in 2017 was 30.6 percent for conventional core activities (such as camping, hiking, boating, and hunting), 19.3 percent for other core activities (such as gardening and outdoor concerts), and 50.1 percent for supporting activities (such as construction, travel and tourism, local trips, and government expenditures). Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U.S. and Prototype for States, Table 4, 2017. https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation
• Of the total $427.2 billion contribution to the U.S. GDP, the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services sector was the largest contributor to the U.S. outdoor recreation economy in 2017, accounting for $112.9 billion. The contributions of the remaining industries to the outdoor recreation economy were retail trade, $95.7 billion; manufacturing, $51.7 billion; transportation and warehousing, $47.9 billion; wholesale trade, $34.8 billion; and all other industries, $84.3 billion. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U.S. and Prototype for States, Table 1, 2017. https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation
• The outdoor recreation economy created 5.2 million jobs that generated $213.4 billion in wages in 2017. While the total employment in the outdoor recreation economy contributed to 3.4 percent of the total employment in the U.S., the wages earned accounted for 2.1 percent of the total compensation in the U.S. in 2017.  Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U.S. and Prototype for States, Table 10, 2017. https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation
• The ocean-based tourism and recreation sector alone accounts for more business establishments and employs more people than all the other nine sectors contributing to the U.S. Ocean Economy. This sector produced approximately $227 billion gross output and contributed $143 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2018. For this sector, the annual changes in gross output and contribution to GDP, respectively, was 6.6 percent and 5.5 percent in 2018, compared with the national average at 6.2 percent and 5.4 percent annual changes, respectively. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).
• The recreation and tourism sector is not only weather-dependent but also vulnerable to climate change. For example, a study conducted in the U.S. Northeast winter recreation-tourism shows that climate change represents a notable threat to the sector and poses sizable potential economic ramifications for businesses and communities. Scott, D., Dawson, J. & Jones, B. Climate change vulnerability of the US Northeast winter recreation– tourism sector. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 13, 577–596 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-007-9136-z

References

Bureau of Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U.S. and Prototype for States, 2017. https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).

NOAA. 2018. NOAA’s Contribution to the Economy; Powering America’s Economy and Protecting Americans. https://www.performance.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/NOAA-Contribution-to-the-Economy-Draft-24-4oct2018.pdf

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The National Coastal Zone Management Program Measuring Performance: Public Access. https://coast.noaa.gov/data/czm/media/czmperfaccess.pdf

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Marine Sanctuary System. https://nmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/media/archive/about/national-marine-sanctuary-system.pdf

Scott, D., Dawson, J. & Jones, B. Climate change vulnerability of the US Northeast winter recreation– tourism sector. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 13, 577–596 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-007-9136-z

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/fhw16-nat.pdf

Coastal Habitat & Management

We protect and restore habitat to sustain fisheries, recover protected species, and maintain resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.  For us, conservation means protection and restoration. We protect healthy habitat by prioritizing our work to address the biggest threats. We restore degraded or injured habitat to ensure fish have access to high-quality areas to live.

NOAA’s Role:

• According to the Ocean Economy Satellite Account, federal public administration and coast guard accounted for about $10.9 billion gross output and $7.6 billion GDP to the U.S. total economy in 2018.
• NOAA works to conserve marine areas and preserve the economic benefits of these special places to local communities through its coastal management and place-based conservation programs, such as Coastal Zone Management, the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the National Marine Sanctuary System and other marine national monuments, and the Coral Reef Conservation Program.
• The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is the trustee for a network of underwater parks that encompass more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 14 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.
• The National Estuarine Research Reserves System, a partnership between NOAA and the coastal states and territories, is a network of 29 estuarine areas established across the nation for long-term research, education, and coastal stewardship. The reserves employ an active stewardship program to keep each of the system’s over 1.3 million acres productive. The reserves focus on stewardship, research, training, and education on topics including nonpoint source pollution, resilient communities, habitat restoration, and invasive species. For example, one study found that the economic valuation of shoreline protection within the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve resulted in ~$8.34 million in avoided damages during a simulated Hurricane Sandy event in 2012.
• The Coral Reef Conservation Program, a partnership between the NOAA line offices that work on coral reef issues, covers threats from land based sources of pollution, resilience to climate change, coral restoration, fisheries sustainability, and human connections to reefs. The Coral Reef Conservation Program funds and equips coral reef conservation and monitoring activities by NOAA and its partners in the seven U.S. states and territories containing coral reefs, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as the Pacific Remote Island Areas and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
• Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation protects and restores habitat to sustain fisheries, recover protected species, and maintain resilient coastal ecosystems and communities. Since 1992, we have provided more than $750 million to implement more 3,300 coastal habitat restoration projects. Restoration also creates jobs—an average of 15 jobs per $1 million invested. The Restoration Center has funded more than 70 oyster restoration projects in 15 states, including the Chesapeake Bay Program. Nationwide, nearly 17,000 volunteers have participated in this and other NOAA oyster restoration projects.
• NOAA shares responsibility for implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act. NOAA Fisheries has jurisdiction over 165 endangered and threatened marine species, including whales, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles. NOAA Fisheries economists estimated that society places a value of $13 billion on recovering just three of the endangered species: leatherback sea turtle, North Pacific right whale, and North Atlantic right whale. The benefits far outweigh the costs of current conservation measures aimed at reducing their risk of extinction.
• The Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is a center of expertise in preparing for, evaluating, and responding to threats to coastal environments, including oil and chemical spills, releases from hazardous waste sites, and marine debris. In Fiscal Year 2019: OR&R provided scientific support for 133 pollution-related incidents and helped to settle seven pollution cases, resulting in $28 million for natural resource restoration.
• The Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program acts on behalf of the public to protect and restore natural resources harmed by oil spills, releases of hazardous waste, and, in some instances, vessel groundings. To date, DARRP, in cooperation with teams composed of state, tribal, federal agencies, and industries, has recovered more than $10 billion for restoration from those responsible for environmental harm. Protection and restoration have also been integrated into more than 500 waste site cleanups in order to reduce further injuries to natural resources and accelerate recovery.

Why It Matters

• Coastal wetlands—including marshes, mangroves, swamps, deltas, and floodplains—filter our water, protect our coastal communities from floods, and provide habitat for fish and other wildlife. Coastal wetlands generate more than half of commercially harvested seafood in the United States. Areas behind existing marshes are predicted to have an average of 20% less property losses than areas where marshes have been lost. For example, it was estimated that coastal wetlands prevented $625M in property damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
• Coral reefs are estimated to provide over $3.4 billion economic values each year for the U.S. including fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection.
  • Shallow-water corals draw 55 million visitors every year to U.S. states, territories, and national marine sanctuaries. Sixty percent of Hawaii’s tourist income comes from reef visitors. About half of all U.S. fisheries depend on healthy coral reefs. In Florida, where many fisheries depend on reef-raised species, an estimated $28.7 billion in sales come from commercial and recreational fishing industries.
  • Deep-water coral clusters provide shelter for an unknown number of species that are new to science, many of which could be useful in ways we don’t yet understand, like their future pharmaceutical potential. The full geographic extent of deep-sea corals is far from known because we have mapped less than 0.05 percent of the seafloor.
• Oyster reefs provide significant economic value to regional coastal communities. Farmed oysters, clams, and mussels account for about two-thirds of total U.S. marine aquaculture production. A single oyster filters up to 50 gallons of water per day and improves water that is overloaded with nutrients. Healthy reefs also reduce wave energy, shoreline erosion, and storm damage. Restoring estuaries can provide economic benefits. One $3.5 million NOAA wetlands restoration project in California increased residential property values by $36.3 million.
• Estuaries comprise only 13 percent of the land area of the continental United States, but they make up a disproportionate share of the national economy. These areas account for 43 percent of the population, 40 percent of employment, and 49 percent of economic output. Forty-three percent of U.S. adults visit an estuary location at least once a year, generating $12 billion in annual revenue. Estuaries provide habitat for more than 75 percent of the nation’s commercial fish catch, and an even larger percentage of recreational catch.

References

Beck, M.W., K.L. HeckJr., K.W. Able, D.L. Childers, D.B. Eggleston, B.M. Gillanders, B.S. Halpern, C.G. Hays, K. Hoshino, T.J. Minello, R.J. Orth, P.F. Sheridan, M.P. Weinstein. 2003. The role of nearshore ecosystems as fish and shellfish nurseries. Issues in Ecology 11: 1-12.

Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Ocean Economy Prototype Statistics” https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/ocean-economy  (accessed June 24, 2020).

Kristy Wallmo, Daniel K. Lew. (2016) “A comparison of regional and national values for recovering threatened and endangered marine species in the United States.” Journal of Environmental Management,Volume 179, Pages 38-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.04.053.

Loerzel, J., M. Gorstein, A.M. Rezaie, S.B. Gonyo, C.S. Fleming, and A. Orthmeyer. 2017. Economic Valuation of Shoreline Protection within the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 234. Silver Spring. 78 pp. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5/TM-NOS-NCCOS-234

National Marine Fisheries Service (2020) Fisheries of the United States, 2018. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Current Fishery Statistics No. 2018 Available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ national/commercial-fishing/fisheries-united-states-2018

Narayan, S., Beck, M.W., Wilson, P. et al. The Value of Coastal Wetlands for Flood Damage Reduction in the Northeastern USA. Sci Rep 7, 9463 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09269-z and

Narayan, S., Beck, M.W., Wilson, P., Thomas, C., Guerrero, A., Shepard, C., Reguero, B.G., Franco, G., Ingram, C.J., Trespalacios, D. 2016. Coastal Wetlands and Flood Damage Reduction: Using Risk Industry-based Models to Assess Natural Defenses in the Northeastern USA. Lloyd’s Tercentenary Research Foundation, London

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. 2013. The Total Economic Value of U.S. Coral Reefs: A Review of the Literature. Silver Spring, MD: NOAA

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