About the Program
Socio-economic Costs and Benefits of Marine Debris Abatement
Nationwide; 2006
Marine debris can have significant economic impacts to coastal communities and the fishing industry. Among a wide host of potential economic impacts are the cost of removal off beaches and reefs and at sea, lost tourism revenues, the cost of repairing boats and ships damaged by marine debris, and the cost to human health. A literature review has revealed that very little data exist that demonstrate economic benefits of marine debris abatement.
This study has four outcomes:
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To create a database of all available information and data on local, state and federal spending on marine debris cleanup programs.
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Implementation of a survey to fill data gaps identified in the literature review and database.
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To design a socio-economic model that will estimate the economic costs and benefits of marine debris prevention.
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Web-based application that will combine the information of the database and survey results that can be marketed to decision makers.
This program is housed within NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program and is funded through NOAA's Ocean Service, Office of Response & Restoration, Marine Debris Program.
