Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers

Oceana
Press release
Full report

[Press release] Oceana released the results of a new study today that finds a strong economic incentive for protecting living ocean resources. Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers shows that scuba divers are willing to pay more to see healthy corals, sharks and sea turtles.

“Divers are personally invested in the oceans and truly understand the importance of safeguarding marine wildlife and habitats,” said Suzanne Garrett, dive program coordinator at Oceana. “Divers are avid participants in ecotourism and show a great willingness to protect all that inhabits the oceans.”

Scuba divers contribute more than $4.1 billion dollars to local coastal economies alone each year through dive-related vacations. As part of Sea the Value, conducted in collaboration with Duke University, scuba divers were asked the maximum amount of money they were willing to pay, in addition to their normal dive costs, for the increased likelihood of seeing a particular species. Information was obtained from more than 500 scuba divers from across the United States who responded to a 25 question, web-based survey. (Docuticker)