Explanation of Indicator
Marinas have been found to contribute 4,580 jobs and $452 million to Florida’s economy.1 As boating increases in popularity, the need for marinas increases. This need is particularly acute for the most popular sizes of boats, many of which need to be docked. Many large boats require docking facilities because it is too costly or not possible to pull the boats by automobile to a launch site or boat ramp. As more people purchase and use larger boats, the demand for marina boat slips will incre ase. As the number of marinas increase, so will the economic impact of these facilities. The number of marina boat slips can be used as an indirect indicator of the economic impact of the state’s marinas on Florida’s economy.
Data Characteristics
SOURCE
This information is available from Lyle Fowler at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, Office of Park Planning, MS 525, 9900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000, or at (904) 488-2300.
ACQUISITION
The data are available at no cost for the most recent update; other years are available at substantial cost.
COLLECTION
The data inventory is updated every two to three years and collected for each county. The last update was in 1991; however, the 1995 summaries will be available around October 1995.
Data Limitations
Due to budget constraints, the data were supplied by each site's administering agency or manager, and site-specific information may not accurately reflect the existence of the site or its features. Furthermore, the jurisdictions of some agencies overlap;
thus, some sites may be counted twice.
Recommendations
The Florida Coastal Management Program should develop a survey of the number of boat slips available in each county. This information should be collected by one agency at the county level to avoid double counting. The data should be updated every two to
three years so that the number of slips available can be adequately monitored by each county and the state.