SCUBA diver on a Puerto Rico reef

SCUBA diver on a reef in Puerto Rico. Photo credit Debbie Santavay, U.S. EPA.

This project was sponsored and funded by the U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development. The EPA developed a decision-support tool to evaluate restoration alternatives in the Restoration Management Plan for the Guanica Bay Watershed in southwest Puerto Rico. Several teams were in charge of different ecosystem services (benefits humans receive from coral reef ecosystems). Ecosystem services for coral reefs included recreation-tourism, food supply (commercial fishing and consumptive motive of recreational fishing), ornamentals (aquarium trade), pharmaceuticals, and property values from storm protection. The EPA decision-support tool was limited to the coral reefs of southwest Puerto Rico but because public scoping determined that recreation-tourism information was needed for the entire island’s coral reef ecosystems this study covers all of Puerto Rico. However, due to costs, this study was limited to visitor use of Puerto Rico’s coral reef ecosystems.

This study gathered data by administering two main socioeconomic surveys: the airport survey and the CUSTOMER survey. The airport survey was administered in two parts. The first was an on-site survey at the airport on flights leaving Puerto Rico and the second was a mailback survey given to visitors after completion of the on-site portion. The CUSTOMER survey was conducted on-site at hotels, marinas, dive shops, beaches, and other locations where reef-using visitors could be found. With the data gathered from these surveys, scientists working on this project generated a total of six reports. All six of these reports are available for download through the "Report Download" section of this portal. In addition, the survey questions and survey data are available for download through the "Data Download" section.

1. Visitor Profiles: Reef Users (.pdf 2.5 MB)

This report presents a socioeconomic profile of reef using visitors to Puerto Rico. Estimates are presented on the total amount of visitation measured in person-trips (visits) and intensity of visitation measured in person-days. The concepts of person-trips and person-days are defined and as with many measurements, separate estimates are provided by season (summer and winter). Extensive profiles are presented on activity participation for reef using activities and non-reef using activities for reef using visitors. An extensive set of appendix tables provides details by activity type, region and season. Puerto Rico was divided into five regions for estimation of activity use. Intensity of use is measured in person-days for selected reef using activities by region and season.

The profiles presented in this report also include demographic profiles of the reef using visitors. Place of primary residence (country and within the U.S. the state) age, sex, race, ethnicity, and household income of the survey respondent are provided. Additional items include party size, second home ownership in Puerto Rico, length of stay, number of annual trips to Puerto Rico, number of days annually spent in Puerto Rico and numbers of nights spent in each region of Puerto Rico on the interview trip.

Expenditure profiles are also presented in this report. Here we present the average expenditure by spending category per person per trip and per person per day. These expenditures are used in another report on the economic contribution/impact that these expenditures have on the Puerto Rican economy in terms of output/sales, value-added (gross regional product), income, and employment (including multiplier or “ripple effects”). The final section of this report addresses special issues identified through public scoping of the project. These special issues include private boats that visitors keep in Puerto Rico, likelihood of return visits, cruise ship visits and their influence on making a non-cruise ship visit, visitors' preferences for the level of development, and visitor level of support for different natural resource management issues.

2. Economic Contribution of Reef Using Visitor Spending to the Puerto Rican Economy (.pdf 690 KB)

This report is the second volume in the six volume series. It addresses the economic contribution/impact of visitor reef users' expenditures in Puerto Rico on the Puerto Rican economy. Estimates of total visitor spending by category are used in the IMPLAN input-output model for Puerto Rico to estimate the impact of these expenditures on the Puerto Rican economy in terms of output/sales, valued-added (gross regional product), income, and employment (including multiplier or “ripple effects” of the spending by reef using visitors).

3. Importance and Satisfaction Ratings by Reef Using Visitors in Puerto Rico (.pdf 815 KB)

This report is volume three of the six volume series and addresses importance-satisfaction ratings by reef using visitors on 25 natural resource attributes, facilities, and services. The importance-performance four-quadrant analysis is used to place items as to their relative importance and satisfaction.

4. Technical Appendix: Visitor Profiles (.pdf 5.0 MB)

This report is volume four of the six volume series and is a technical appendix detailing the methods used in sampling and estimation for items presented in volumes one through three. Details are provided on sampling methodologies, sample weighting, analyses on non-response bias, and methods of estimation of project measurements presented in volumes one to three.

5. Technical Appendix: Non-market Economic Value by Reef Using visitors on Puerto Rico’s Coral Reef Ecosystems - An Attributes Approach (.pdf 7.3 MB)

This report is volume five of the six volume series. This technical appendix details the methods used in estimating the non-market economic values of coral reef ecosystem attributes. Details are provided on sampling methodologies, sample weighting, questionnaire and experimental design, model estimations, and use of the model in estimating the economic value of attributes under different scenarios. This report is intended for peer reviewers and for researchers that would like to implement the methods used in other geographies.

6. Non-market Economic Value by Reef Using Visitors on Puerto Rico’s Coral Reef Ecosystems - An Attributes Approach: Policy/Management Scenarios (.pdf 1.1 MB)

This report is volume six of the six volume series and reports the results of using the estimated models found in volume five for evaluating selected policy/management scenarios to demonstrate the utility of the models.

SCUBA diver on a reef in Puerto Rico
Access Data

Archive Package Metadata

This dataset contains the data that were collected as part of a six volume report series on the socioeconomics of visitor use of Puerto Rico’s coral reef ecosystems. Two main surveys were conducted for reef-using visitors to Puerto Rico: the Airport Survey and the CUSTOMER On-site Survey.

The first component of the Airport Survey consisted of an on-site survey at the airport on flights leaving Puerto Rico. Information was obtained on place of permanent residence, time of arrival and departure for each participant's current trip to Puerto Rico, number of nights in Puerto Rico on trip, number of people in the party 16 years and older, and number in the party under 16 years of age. Demographic information (e.g. age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, and ownership of a second home in Puerto Rico) was also a part of this survey. In addition, the survey included questions about recreation activity by type of activity, mode of access (shore, private boat, rental boat or for hire boat), region of activity (five regions), and number in the party that did the activity). Number of trips to Puerto Rico and number of day spent in Puerto Rico over the last 12 month was also asked. The Airport survey was done in the winter and summer seasons).

The airport survey also had a mailback component. This consisted of two surveys handed to reef-using visitors after completing the On-site Airport survey; an expenditures and satisfaction mailback. Detailed expenditures were obtained and the number in the party the expenditures covered. The satisfaction mailback obtained ratings on 25 natural resource attributes, facilities, and services on both importance and satisfaction with each item. Special issue questions were also included here.

The CUSTOMER On-site survey was done at hotels, marinas, dive shops, charter/guide boat access points, parks and beaches where reef-using visitors could be found. This survey obtained activity participation and use as in the Airport On-site survey, but added the dimension of intensity of use measured in person-days and number of dives for snorkeling and SCUBA diving. Again this was done by region and season. This survey also included the "willingness to pay" questions for the non-market economic values of reef attribute conditions. The survey also included demographic information much like the Airport Survey.