NOAA is joining Restore America’s Estuaries on May 22 to introduce the findings of a new report, “The Economic and Market Value of Coasts and Estuaries: What’s At Stake?” The report was funded through NOAA, and produced by a number of well-known scientists and economists.

“The productivity of our coastlines is up there with the Fortune 500 companies,” said Jeff Benoit, President of Restore America Estuaries. “Yet historically, we have overlooked the critical role our coasts play in contributing to the national economy.”

Findings documented in the report include values gained from healthy coasts, such as:

  * Beach going in the United States may contribute up to $30 billion annually in economic wellbeing to Americans; and
  * Recreational fishing along the coasts could contribute between $10 billion and $26 billion per year in economic wellbeing.

The report also identifies the threats and costs associated with damaged ecosystems that could be restored:

  * 45 percent of America’s petroleum refining capacity is at risk due to wetland loss in the Gulf of Mexico; and
  * Dredging in U.S. waterways, often a result of deteriorating environmental conditions, costs the economy nearly $600 million annually.

The report, available through Restore America’s Estuaries’ website, is the first step in a longer-term effort by the organization to make the economic value of restoration a more integral part of coastal planning and management.