Ecosystem Services Valuation of the Central Georgia Coast, including Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

This report details the results of a survey effort conducted by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in coastal Georgia which included the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The survey instrument was designed in collaboration with management staff to analyze the knowledge, attitudes, and preferences of social values associated with the area’s ecosystem services for three distinct user groups of the Georgia coast: permanent residents, seasonal residents, and visitors. Components of the survey instrument addressed observed changes in abundance of key resources, and prioritization of management goals, among others. A participatory mapping component was included during which respondents allocated weights to any of 13 social value types and placed points on a map corresponding with those values. We received a total of 348 usable responses. We highlight interesting findings for each group, and offer two potential uses of this information for the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.