A newly published study details the financial burden imposed by recurring sargassum seaweed events on coastal economies in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Florida. While the ecological and public health consequences of these inundations have been widely documented, this research offers one of the first comprehensive assessments of their direct economic toll on government budgets and private enterprises in these areas.
Conducted by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Rhode Island, the study was supported by NOAA’s Competitive Research Program. Its goal was to equip resource managers with data-driven insights to inform funding allocations and policy decisions. The team evaluated both direct and indirect costs, with particular attention to impacts on tourism, recreation, and fisheries—sectors vital to the regional economy.
Using a combination of national income data for marine industries, visitor spending patterns, hotel cancellation records, and fishery catch reports, the researchers quantified the financial losses associated with sargassum events. Their analysis reveals a significant monetary strain on these coastal communities, underscoring the need for coordinated responses to this growing environmental challenge.
The findings provide critical context for policymakers, highlighting the escalating costs linked to these frequent and severe natural occurrences. The study reinforces NOAA’s mandate under the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act to improve scientific understanding and response capabilities for such events.
— news from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (.gov)
— News Original —
Million Dollar Hit to US Coastal Economies
A recently published article quantifies the economic damage caused by recurring sargassum seaweed events across the coasts of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), and coastal Florida. NCCOS’ Competitive Research Program-funded research is timely: although the ecological and public health impacts of sargassum inundation events (SIEs) are well documented, the direct financial toll on state and local governments, and the private sector has not been thoroughly quantified for these key U.S. territories and states. n nThe study, conducted by a team of social scientists and economists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Rhode Island, aimed to provide resource managers with clear, evidence-based economic data to help guide funding decisions and policy responses to SIEs. The research examined both the direct and indirect costs of these events, especially their impacts on coastal tourism, recreation, and fisheries—three key economic sectors for the affected jurisdictions. n nTo capture the economic impacts, the study used several methods for these regions, including compiling national income data for marine and coastal industries, estimating the frequencies of SIEs, analyzing tourism revenue losses such as hotel cancellations and reduced visitor spending, and assessing declines in commercial and recreational fishing catches. n nBy collecting and analyzing the economic data, the authors were able to develop a comprehensive picture of the significant monetary impacts SIEs are placing on these popular U.S. coastal regions. This research provides key information to policymakers, illustrating the economic burden necessary to address the escalating costs associated with these severe, recurring environmental events. n nNOAA is authorized to advance the scientific understanding and assess harmful algal bloom events through the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (33 U.S.C. §§ 4001 et seq.).