Coastal managers are frequently required to consider the economic implications of their decisions, but economic data needed to support decisions is frequently lacking. This paper discusses the creation of a national data set that measures economic activity related to the oceans and Great Lakes of the U.S. Measures include employment, wages, establishments, and output. The data is derived from existing data maintained by the federal government to assure temporal and spatial consistency of measurement. The data set defines the "ocean economy" through a combination of industry and geographic location features to measure 21 separate industries in 6 sectors, at the national, state, and county levels. The data is subject to several suppression screens required to assure confidentiality of reported information. Analysis of the data for 2007 indicates that the national ocean economy of the U.S. is about 2% of U.S. employment and 1.7% of gross domestic product; it is comparable in size to other natural resource industries in the U.S. State and county level data indicate the ocean economy is largest in urban areas but is more likely to be a larger share of the economy of rural areas. The ocean economy data opens up numerous avenues for improvement in the estimation of employment and output and construction of models relating the ocean economy to changes in natural resources and to other changes in the economy.

Clusters, especially those based in some way on technological innovation, have become a key concept in regional development. But precise measurement and assessment of the concept is difficult. This is particularly the case in regions where techno- logical innovation has lagged significantly and where policy support has only recently expanded. This study examines the use of the “cluster” idea in seven industry groups in Maine defined by the state. An eight-element framework is proposed to describe cluster characteristics appropriate to these technology and industry-related groups. Based on extensive interviews with firms and other organizations, the strengths and weaknesses of cluster characteristics are identified. The role of clusters in the economy is also assessed by comparing cluster strength with market growth potential. The results show that none of the technology clusters currently has strong economic impact potential but that some could achieve that potential more quickly than would others.

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We develop a methodology to estimate the potential economic benefits from new investments in regional coastal ocean observing systems in US waters, and apply this methodology to generate preliminary estimates of such benefits. The approach focuses on potential economic benefits from coastal ocean observing information within ten geographic regions encompassing all coastal waters of the United States, and within a wide range of industrial and recreational activities including recreational fishing and boating, beach recreation, maritime transportation, search and rescue operations, spill response, marine hazards prediction, offshore energy, power generation, and commercial fishing.Our findings suggest that annual benefits to users from the deployment of ocean observing systems are likely to run in the multiple $100s of millions of dollars per year.The project results should be considered first-order estimates that are subject to considerable refinement as the parameters of regional observing systems are better defined, and as our understanding of user sectors improves.Key Words: economic benefits, ocean observing systems, benefit estimation 3 Executive SummaryThis report summarizes the findings of a preliminary investigation of the magnitude of potential economic benefits that can be realized by deploying a network of ocean observing systems throughout the coastal waters of the United States. Such a network is currently being developed through collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local governments, universities, and organizations in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors.Estimating the economic benefits from ocean observing systems is inherently difficult. Not only are the systems themselves only partially deployed around the country at present; the technology and information products comprising the inputs and outputs of such systems are undergoing such rapid evolution that any estimates can only represent a partial snapshot. Moreover, the economic information needed to compile estimates of both the users of the information generated by such systems and the value they place on such information is only sporadically available and usually incomplete.Therefore this report provides what may be considered "order of magnitude" estimates only, along with recommendations on developing more accurate and useful estimates of economic benefits. Furthermore, there are many possible uses of improved ocean observing systems that have no readily quantifiable economic value but may lead to significant benefits in the future. Prominent among these are the uses of better ocean observing data in a wide range of basic and applied scientific research endeavors and in education programs.The economic benefits of ocean observing systems derive from the value of the information generated by such systems and the effects that information has on the behavior of individuals and organizations. The ideal measure of these economic benefits is the value that users of the information place on it, based on their willingness to p...