Evaluating the regional economic contributions of US aquaculture: Case study of Florida’s shellfish aquaculture industry

Abstract Regional economic assessments (REAs), including economic contribution and impact analyses, are often used in resource-based industries to inform policymakers, elected officials, and the general public of an industry’s role within the regional economy. However, REAs have been difficult to conduct for the aquaculture industry due to issues with data availability and quality. This paper will provide an overview of economic contribution analysis, the challenges associated with applying these analyses to U.S. aquaculture production, and techniques to overcome these challenges. The Florida shellfish aquaculture industry is used as an example to highlight some of the data issues and how using different methods within a REA can lead to inaccurate representations of an industry’s economic contribution.