Combining revealed and stated preference models for artificial reef siting: A study in the Florida Keys

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Environmental Economics
• Recreational Diving Studies

Background:

• Artificial reefs, particularly sunken ships, are increasingly used to enhance marine habitats and recreational diving opportunities.
• Understanding diver preferences and economic valuation is crucial for effective artificial reef management and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate recreational divers' preferences for artificial reef diving and their willingness to pay (WTP) for attributes of large ship artificial reef sites.
• To compare different economic modeling approaches, including revealed preference (RP), stated preference (SP), and joint RP/SP models, incorporating attribute non-attendance (ANA).

Main Methods:

• Utilized survey data from divers in the Florida Keys.
• Employed discrete choice experiments to model diver choices and WTP.
• Incorporated stated attribute non-attendance (ANA) at the choice-task level within joint RP/SP models.

Main Results:

• Joint RP/SP models that account for stated attribute non-attendance (ANA) were found to be the preferred analytical approach.
• The inclusion of ANA led to decreased marginal WTP estimates.
• Variability in marginal WTP estimates, within 95% confidence intervals, was also reduced.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide a robust framework for optimizing future artificial reef site selection and sinking decisions.
• Efficient decision-making can enhance diver welfare and the ecological benefits of artificial reefs.