Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

Economic Impacts

With over 80% of Florida's residents residing in coastal counties, many Floridians are frequently affected by algal blooms. Recreational activities like boating, fishing, swimming, and beach-walking are popular with both residents and tourists. In Florida, tourism depends on an abundance of healthy beaches, outdoor recreational activities, and seafood. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can have unrecognized economic impacts on health care, fisheries, and tourism industries. During a bloom, people may seek medical care for their symptoms, which results in additional health care expenditures. Local county and city governments may be tasked with beach clean-up efforts which may last for months. If red tide toxins accumulate in shellfish, nearby harvesting beds are closed, resulting in revenue losses for the aquaculture industry. Local businesses including hotels and restaurants often report a decline in tourism during HAB events.

HABs Economic Impacts Fact Sheet

FDOH Factsheet on the Economic Impacts of HABs (130 KB pdf )

Additional Reading

1. Morgan, K.L., S.L. Larkin, and C.M. Adams. Public Costs of Florida Red Tides: 2007. Food and Resource Economics Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. June 2008. (40 KB pdf )

2. Cheng YS, Zhou Y, Irvin CM, Pierce RH, Naar J, Backer LC, et al. Characterization of Marine Aerosol for Assessment of Human Exposure to Brevetoxins. Environ Health Perspect. 2005; 113:638 to 643. (122 KB pdf )

3. Kirkpatrick B., Bean J.A., Fleming L.E., Kirkpatrick G., et. al. Gastrointestinal Emergency Room Admissions and Florida Red Tide Blooms (2010) Harmful Algae, 9 (1), pp. 82 to 86. (396 KB pdf )

4. Hoagland P, Jin D, Polansky LY, Kirkpatrick B, Kirkpatrick G, et al. The Costs of Respiratory Illnesses Arising From Florida Gulf Coast Karenia Brevis Blooms. Environ Health Perspect. 2009; 117:1239 to 1243. (370 KB pdf )

5. Anderson DM, Hoagland P, Kaoru Y, White AW. 2000. Estimated Annual Economic Impacts from Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) in the United States. Technical Report WHOI 2000 to 2011 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Mass. (1 MB pdf )

6. Morgan, K.L., S.L. Larkin, and C.M. Adams. Economic Impacts of Red Tide Events On Restaurant Sales.Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. Orlando, Florida, February 5 to 8, 2006. (1 MB pdf )

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