Consortium Generated Nearly $13M Economic Impact in S.C. and FL in FY22-23

The Consortium recently released The Economic Impact of the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium: A State-Level and Regional Perspective, which was prepared in collaboration with Joseph C. Von Nessen, Ph.D., a research economist at the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business. The report documents the economic impact of activities supported by the Consortium in fiscal year 2022-2023, including the creation of new jobs and income derived from the acquisition of federal funds; the management of volunteer-driven programs; and support for education and workforce training programs.

According to the report, the Consortium generated an economic impact of over $9 million in South Carolina and nearly $4 million in Florida. These economic impacts correspond to over $3.6 million and over $1.2 million in labor income for each state, respectively. The report also notes that for every dollar the State of South Carolina invested to support the Consortium, $9.23 dollars in statewide economic output was generated, which is a 923% return on investment for the state. In addition, the Consortium’s volunteer programs resulted in more than 6,600 volunteer hours devoted to maintenance, cleanup, and resiliency efforts in South Carolina, and the economic impact of volunteer time was estimated at $185,526.

The report results illustrate that the Consortium’s research, education, and outreach programming is of significant value to South Carolina's economic, environmental, and social well-being.

Consortium Wins Three National Awards

The Consortium and partner organizations recently won three awards from the Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals (ANREP). The 2024 awards were recently presented at a ceremony during the annual ANREP meeting in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The awards are:

Outstanding Educational Materials Awards, Webinars

Silver Award for the “Cultural History of Wetlands” Webinar Series

Outstanding Educational Materials Awards, Promotional and Marketing Materials

Bronze Award for South Carolina Stormwater Awareness Week

Achievement Awards, which “recognize exceptional ANREP members who exhibit outstanding leadership and program excellence.”

Outstanding Team Award for the South Carolina Water Chats Program

According to ANREP, the awards program “fosters high standards within the membership, recognize significant achievement, and expand the use of high quality, innovative materials and programs by honoring the outstanding members and partners who developed them.” Please view the press release for a complete list of Consortium staff and partners who won the awards.

Brooke Saari (second from left), the Consortium’s Coastal Environmental Quality Program specialist, and colleagues with Clemson University display their awards. Photo courtesy of ANREP.

Publications of Interest

Ellen S. Kappel (Editor). Mike Allen, Mona Behl, Rebecca Briggs, Kristen Fussell, Brita Jessen, Sarah Kolesar, Ian Miller, Stephanie Otts (Guest Editors). Sea Grant: Science Serving America’s Coastlines and People. Oceanography, Vol. 37, No. 1, 2024.

Dawn Anticole White (Managing Editor). Brooke R. Saari, Amy E. Scaroni, C. Guinn Wallover (Guest Editors). Water Quality and Applications to Natural Resource Management. Journal of South Carolina Water Resources (2024 Water Chats Special Issue), Vol. 9, Issue 2.

Catherine Janasie (Editor-in-Chief). Brita J. Jessen, Adam D. Orford, Katie Hill, Amanda C. Spivak, Valerie A. Black et al., Reed D. Porter. Blue Carbon Issue, Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 2024.

Andrew M. Scheld, Donna M. Bilkovic, Sarah Stafford, Kathleen Powers, Susanna Musick, Amanda G. Guthrie. Valuing shoreline habitats for recreational fishing, Ocean & Coastal Management, Vol. 253, 2024, 107150.

Faculty members are encouraged to contact Susan Ferris Hill or Susannah Sheldon with publications and/or events to share.