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• Economics of at
The Miami -Dade County economy is a
powerhouse and is characterized by these
selected attributes':
Annual Gross Regional Product $199 billion
Total Employment Base --> 1..5 million jobs
Annual Personal Incomes 4 $97 billion
The Miami -Dade County economy is a.
vital source of growth and stability within
the south Florida region, In fact, the
combined Miami-DadelFt, Lauderdale
region is the 8" largest metropolitan
statistical area in the US, in terms of total
population, with a per capita CRP of
$41,000. The Miami -Dade County
economy is extremely diverse and is driven
by numerous industry sectors, the most
important of which are real estate,
government services„ wholesale trade,
health care, professional services, finance
and insurance.
However, one of the key assets within the
Miami -Dade County portfolio is the natural
environment in which it is cradled, The
county is bordered by the Everglades to the
west, the Florida Keys to the south, and the
beaches and Biscayne Bay to the east. 'These
natural amenities, and their inherent quality,
play a key role in attracting an estimated
annual total of 14 million overnight visitors
to the area. And of the various activities
pursued by these domestic and international
visitors, approximately 80% of visitors
experienced the beaches, ley Biscayne,
and/or local water sports/activities.' The
estimated economic impact of all visitors to
the Miami -Dade County economy is $34.2
Biscayne Bay dominates the vista of northern Miami -Dade County, the most populous
county in Florida. (Florida Sea Grant stack photo)
billion, with the enjoyment gflocal natural
amenities being of importance to 80% of
these visitors.
More specifically, visitation to and use of
Biscayne. Bay contributes significantly to the
Miami -Dade County economy. For
example, a study by Hazen & Sawyer
estimated that 65.5 million person -days*
are spent recreating annually on Biscayne
Bay, Collectively, the economic activities
associated with Biscayne Bay -related uses
contributed 10.2 % of the total Miami -
Dade County economy, as well as 4% of the
southeast Florida economy.' Biscayne Bay_
related activities generated $12.7 billion in
economic output, $6.3 billion in incomes
(10.2% of the County total), 138,000 jobs,
and $627 million in tax revenue within the
local economy.
Cather indicators of the value associated witli
recreational uses of Biscayne Bay attest to
the vital role the Bay plays in the Miami -
Dade County economy. The Rosenstiel
School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
(RSMAS) found that 1.6 million individuals
annually visit the National Park and three
State Parks that surround Biscayne Bay,"
The expenditures by these visitors are vital
to the local recreational business complex
that exists within the proximity of Biscayne
Bay. Hazen and Sawyer found that Bay -
related recreational activities created $3.8
billion in economic output, $2,1 billion in
incomes, and 57,000 jobs. The RSMAS
study further found 71% of local,
n,utatuu61r Lztaeayntc Day tcutauts tetatturry
healthy, natural and rnan-induced events
can negatively impact water duality and bay
bottom resources. Three such events have
occurred in Biscayne Bay during the past
decade (see figure below), which resulted in
algal blooms of unprecedented scale and
duration that impacted over 10,000 acres of
bay bottom habitat. These recent algal
blooms may signal a diminished ability of
the Bay to handle what were previously
tolerable events.
These events were:
1) A micro -algal bloom that initiated in
2005.in in the southern end of Biscayne
Bay and Persisted for 3 years. The bloom
caused reduced visibility and resulted in
a loss of up to 51% of sea grasses and bay
bottom organisms within the bloom
region.
Biscayne Bay water clarity in normal vs. bloom periods. Normal visibility (left) is greater
than 30 ft. During a June 2013 diatom algal bloom (right) visibilty is less than 2 ft. Photos
are not taken at the same location, and are provided for illustration purposes only. (Photos
courtesy Stephen Blair, Miami -Dade DERM)
2) A macro -algal bloom that initiated in
2005 that continues today, although
diminished. The impacted area runs
along the western shore south of
Rickenbacker Causeway to south of
Coral Gables and Out tomid-bay. This
bloom has impacted over 7500 acres of
bay bottom, including the loss of sea
grass and bay bottom habitat.
3) A micro -algal bloom that initiated in the
summer of 2013 and persisted for 2-3
months across the south-central and
southern regions of the Bay. It is striking
that this bloom occurred in a large, open
region of the Bay, in an area where a
blooln had not previously occurred.
The exact causes of these blooms remain
unknown. These events may indicate that.
Biscayne Bray is showing; a decreased
capacity, or resilience, to withstand such
episodic events, whether caused by natural
or human factors. These warning signs
emphasize the importance of maintaining
vigilance in assessment and monitoring of
conditions in the Bay, to identify changes in
the Bay and understand how these changes
may affect the Bay's long-term health, and
its environmental and econornic
sustainability.
In summary, what's at stake? Biscayne Bay is
vital to the Miami -Dade economy, Further,
the existence of consistent, good water
duality is likely the linchpin that couples
economic activity with the Bay itself If the
duality of the water and natural amenities
decline, as has been witnessed during recent
algal blooms, so too will the economic
activities critically dependent on a healthy
bay.
References
' Cruz, D. and R. Hesler. 2013, "Miami -Cade County
Economic & Demographic Profile 2013 Dept. of
Regulatory& Economic Resources. Economic Analysis
& Policy. Miami -Dade County.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/socia]5cience/docs/NPSV
SE2012_final_nrss.pdf.
' Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. "2013
Visitor Industry overview". Miami, FL.
http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/µ/media/fines/gm
cvb/partners/research%20statistics/annual_, report. -20
13.
' Hazen and Sawyer. 2005. "Biscayne Bay Economic
Study - Part 1, Baseline and Trend Report".
http://www,sfrestore.org/rrct/bbay/documents/Lcon
omic_Study_Executive_Summar.pdf.
' Youngquist, A. 2013. "The Value of Biscayne Bay to
Local Recreational Businesses". Rosenstiel School of
Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami.
http://www.sfrestore.org/rrct/bbay/meetings/2014_
meetings/021914/BB_value_to_local_bus.pdf.
5 US Department of the Mterior. 2014. `2012 National
Park Visitor Spending Effects.," National Resource
Report NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR-2014/755, National Park
Service.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/sociaiscience/docs/NPSV
SE2012._final-nrss.pdf.
*Number of visitors times the number of days per
visitor.
Compiled September, 2014 by Chuck Adams, Florida
Sea Grant, University of Florida, (352) 294-7667,
cmadams@ufl.edu; and Stephen Blair, Miami -Dade
Division of Environmental Resources Management,
(305) 372-6853, BlairS@miamidade.gov.
This publication was supported by the National Sea Grant -
College Program of the U.S. Department of Cornmerce"s
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
under, NOAA Grant No. NA10 OAR -4170079. The views
expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of these organizations.
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