SARASOTA, FL – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) has contracted with Eckerd College in St. Petersburg to complete an economic value study of Sarasota Bay. The study launching this summer will evaluate the economic benefits of the Sarasota Bay Estuary and its adjacent natural resources spanning Sarasota and Manatee County. The comprehensive analysis will focus on the direct and indirect use values of coastal recreation and coastal residential real estate.
“The decision to do an economic value study of Sarasota Bay is timely given its importance to our region,” said Mark Alderson, the SBEP Director. “This is the first major economic study focused on the key assets associated with Sarasota Bay.”
Dr. Paul Hindsley, an assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Eckerd College, will complete phase one of the study. Dr. Hindsley is the Coordinator of Eckerd’s Coastal Management Program. He earned his Doctorate Degree in Coastal Resource Management at East Carolina University in 2008. He completed his Masters of Science Degree in Applied and Resource Economics at the same university. His Bachelor of Science Degree in Resource Conservation was completed at the University of Montana in 1999.
