Texas Great Barrier Reef

User Benefits and Economic Impact of Artificial Reefs in SE Florida

Lead Researcher: Walter Milon
Project Number and Duration: R/LR-E-9-PD, 1984 - 1988

Question: Artificial reefs are popular among anglers and divers in Florida, which has more public artificial reefs than any other state. How popular are the artificial reefs in Florida's largest county, Dade County and what is their value to fishermen and divers - and their economic benefit to the community as a whole?

Project: Researchers mailed a survey to 3,600 registered boat owners in Dade County and received about 1,600 responses. The surveys sought detailed information about how often the boaters visited artificial reefs and their activities there, as well as biographical information on the boaters and specifications about their boats. The researchers then
analyzed the data using a variety of statistical methods.

Results: Slightly under a third of the fishermen who responded to the survey said they fished on artificial reefs during the six-month period , while about 13 percent of the divers who responded said they made diving excursions on artificial reefs. Both divers and fishermen indicated they would be willing to pay for new artificial reefs - as did boaters who did not even visit the reefs (though non users would pay less than users.) The researchers estimated the economic benefit of Dade County's artificial reefs system at between $17.5 and $128.3 million, though these figures do not include the value of the reefs to operators of charter fishing and diving boats.

Impact: The study resulted in a Florida Sea Grant publication,"The Economic Benefits of Artificial Reefs: An Analysis of the Dade County, Florida Reef System." One of only a handful of papers to document the economic benefits of artificial reefs in Florida and nationally, the paper is a valuable resource for public policy makers or private groups involved in artificial reef research or projects.

Publications: Articles about this research appeared in journals including Policy Studies Review, Marine Resource Economics and the Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics.

Related Research: In a 1998 study, Florida State University researchers found that visitors to the artificial reefs off a five-county area in the Florida Panhandle spent $358 million over a 12-month period. The expenditures generated 7,468 full- and part-time jobs and over $76 million in wages and salaries in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Bay and Okaloosa counties, according to the study, The Economic Value and Importance of Artificial Reefs in Northwest Florida. "The study confirmed that the Florida artificial reef system is very important in drawing people to our waters," said Mark Bonn, a co-author and FSU professor of tourism.