Coastal Capital

This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) develops and pilots a replicable economic valuation methodology for coral reef ecosystem services in the Caribbean, specifically focusing on Tobago and St. Lucia. The study evaluates three primary services: reef-associated tourism and recreation, fisheries, and shoreline protection, providing lower-bound estimates of their contribution to local GDPs to inform sustainable coastal management and policy decisions.

• Coral reef-associated tourism and recreation represent the largest economic contribution of reefs in both pilot sites. In 2006, the total direct and indirect economic impact was estimated at US$ 101–130 million for Tobago and US$ 160–194 million for St. Lucia.
• Direct economic impacts from reef-related tourism comprise a significant portion of the islands' GDP, estimated at 15% of GDP for Tobago (US$ 43.5 million) and 11% of GDP for St. Lucia (US$ 91.6 million) in 2006.
• Coral reefs provide critical shoreline protection by reducing wave-induced erosion and storm damage. In 2007, the annual value of these services in potentially avoided damages was estimated between US$ 18 and 33 million for Tobago and US$ 28 to 50 million for St. Lucia.
• Coral reefs protect a substantial portion of the coastlines in both islands, covering nearly 50% of Tobago's shoreline and approximately 44% of St. Lucia's. In areas where corals are present, they provide at least 20% of shoreline stability, reaching over 40% in some locations.
• Coral reef-associated fisheries have a smaller direct economic impact compared to tourism and shoreline protection. The total annual economic impact (direct and indirect) is estimated at US$ 0.8–1.1 million for Tobago and US$ 0.5–0.8 million for St. Lucia.
• Local residents' use of coralline beaches and reefs provides significant non-market value. This is estimated at US$ 13–44 million in Tobago and US$ 52–109 million in St. Lucia.
• The valuation methodology is designed as a lower-bound estimate because it excludes several non-use and indirect values, such as pharmaceutical potential, spiritual values, existence values, and the nutritional benefits of subsistence fishing.

APA

Burke, L., Greenhalgh, S., Prager, D., & Cooper, E. (2008). Coastal Capital. World Resources Institute. http://pdf.wri.org/coastal_capital.pdf

Chicago

Burke, Lauretta, Suzie Greenhalgh, Daniel Prager, and Emily Cooper. Coastal Capital. World Resources Institute, 2008. http://pdf.wri.org/coastal_capital.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Burke |first1=Lauretta |last2=Greenhalgh |first2=Suzie |last3=Prager |first3=Daniel |last4=Cooper |first4=Emily |title=Coastal Capital |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=June 2008 |url=http://pdf.wri.org/coastal_capital.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{burke2008coastal, author = {Burke, Lauretta and Greenhalgh, Suzie and Prager, Daniel and Cooper, Emily}, title = {{Coastal Capital}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2008}, month = jun, url = {http://pdf.wri.org/coastal_capital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }