Details

Ocean and Great Lakes Economy (graphic)
The Ocean and Great Lakes Economy described in ENOW includes six economic sectors that depend on the oceans and Great Lakes:

• Living Resources
• Marine Construction
• Marine Transportation
• Offshore Mineral Resources
• Ship and Boat Building
• Tourism and Recreation

Economic Indicators
ENOW describes the Ocean and Great Lakes Economy using four important economic indicators:

• Establishments
• Employment
• Wages
• Gross domestic product (GDP)

Data Sources
ENOW uses two sources of data:

• Establishments, wages, and employment are derived from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Gross domestic product (GDP) is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ GDP-by-state statistics.

Geographic Footprint (graphic)
The counties that are part of the states’ approved Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) management areas are used by NOAA and others for multiple purposes. Because this area is the smallest geography that contains nearly all ocean economic activity, it was chosen as the primary area of data coverage to avoid the creation of a new specialized geographic area. However, to avoid missing a significant volume of ocean-dependent economic activity that takes place in six non-CZMA counties in New Jersey (Camden, Essex, Gloucester, Passaic, Somerset, and Union), these counties have been added.

Methods
The methods that are used to generate ENOW data build on an extensive body of research dating to the late 1970s. The current composition of its six ocean and Great Lakes-dependent sectors is largely the work of the National Ocean Economics Program. Each sector represents an aggregation of relevant economic activity. For more detail, see the Frequently Asked Questions under the support tab.

Georeferencing
Data are georeferenced by Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code. FIPS includes a unique code for each state and county. It is published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Notes and Limitations
In accordance with Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) policy, data provided to the bureau in confidence are not published and are used only for specified statistical purposes. BLS withholds publication of employment and wage data when necessary to protect the identity of cooperating employers. Totals at the industry level for the states and the nation include data suppressed within the detailed tables. In addition, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data, like other employment statistics, do not reflect the economic activities of the self-employed.

Support

What Is the Ocean and Great Lakes Economy? (graphic)
A graphic portrayal of the elements that make up the ENOW Ocean and Great Lakes Economy.

ENOW Frequently Asked Questions
Answers a number of questions about the data, methods, and uses.

Social Coast
Provides helpful context on why and how to use economic and other social science data in coastal management decisions.

Suppression: The Mystery of the Vanishing Data
A comical, clear, and brief blog entry that explains the concept of data suppression.

What’s in the Ocean and Great Lakes Economy? (table)
Shows how data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are aggregated to create the six ENOW sectors. BLS and BEA data are classified by type of industry using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Each ENOW sector represents a composite of multiple NAICS industry classes that depend on the oceans and Great Lakes.

Webinar: Using ENOW Data to Help Monitor Economic Health in Coastal Counties

Econ 120
Includes a series of fun, animated two-minute videos that explain the significance of key economic concepts.

NOAA Economic Report and Infographics
Provides a detailed analysis of ENOW data, including background on the ocean and Great Lakes economy, as well as infographics, or visual representations of the data, at the national, regional, and state levels.

Have a Question? Or a Comment? Let us know.
If you have questions or comments about ENOW data, contact us at clearinghouse@noaa.gov.

Recommended Citation

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Economics: National Ocean Watch (ENOW) Data. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Charleston, SC: NOAA Coastal Services Center. Available at www.csc.noaa.gov/enow.