Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-110

§3613 Blue Economy Valuation

Title 33 › CHAPTER 49 — INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVATION SYSTEM › § 3613

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Administrator must, if funds are provided, start a program to gather, combine, and study data that show how industries tied to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts affect the U.S. economy. The work will cover many kinds of businesses (for example military uses, fishing and seafood, aquaculture, shipping, shipbuilding, tourism, recreation, offshore energy and minerals, and marine construction). The Administrator will work with the Bureau of Economic Analysis and other agencies to build a Coastal and Ocean Economy Satellite Account with national, Tribal, and State statistics. The Administrator will also work with national and international groups to make methods and terms consistent across countries. Not later than 2 years after December 23, 2022, and at least every 2 years until 20 years after December 23, 2022, the Administrator must publish a report that defines the Blue Economy with input from Tribes and experts, recommends updates to industry reporting codes, and gives a State-and-territory-level estimate of value and impact. The report must cover things like water-dependent economic activity, coastal population data, port and shoreline infrastructure, cargo volume and value, commercial data products from the waters (such as weather forecasting), military uses, and, when possible, the value of natural capital for tourism, recreation, natural resources, and cultural heritage. Within 180 days after December 23, 2022, the Administrator must create and keep updated a public website listing resilience grant opportunities, with links, deadlines, help for applicants, and contact people to assist Tribal Governments, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal College or University are defined by the cited sections in Title 20 of the U.S. Code.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §3613

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Measurement of industries
The Administrator, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies and subject to the availability of appropriations, shall establish a program to improve the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data to measure the value and impact of industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the economy of the United States, including military uses, living resources, marine construction, marine transportation, offshore energy development and siting including for renewable energy, offshore mineral production, ship and boat building, tourism, recreation, subsistence, commercial, recreational, and charter fishing, seafood processing, and other fishery-related businesses, aquaculture such as kelp and shellfish, and other industries the Administrator determines appropriate.
(b)Collaboration
In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator shall—
(1)work with the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies to develop a Coastal and Ocean Economy Satellite Account that includes national, Tribal, and State-level statistics to measure the contribution of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts to the overall economy of the United States; and
(2)collaborate with national and international organizations and governments to promote consistency of methods, measurements, and definitions to ensure comparability of results between countries.
(c)Report
Not later than 2 years after December 23, 2022, and not less frequently than every 2 years thereafter until the date that is 20 years after December 23, 2022, the Administrator, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall publish a report that—
(1)defines the Blue Economy in consultation with Indian Tribes and with input from academia, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and other relevant experts;
(2)makes recommendations for updating North American Industry Classification System reporting codes to reflect the Blue Economy; and
(3)provides a comprehensive estimate of the value and impact of the Blue Economy with respect to each State and territory of the United States, including—
(A)the value and impact of—
(i)economic activities that are dependent upon the resources of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts;
(ii)the population and demographic characteristics of the population along the coasts;
(iii)port and shoreline infrastructure;
(iv)the volume and value of cargo shipped by sea or across the Great Lakes;
(v)data collected from the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts, including such data collected by businesses that purchase and commodify the data, including weather prediction and seasonal agricultural forecasting; and
(vi)military uses; and
(B)to the extent possible, the qualified value and impact of the natural capital of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts with respect to tourism, recreation, natural resources, and cultural heritage, including other indirect values.
(d)Centralized website for resiliency grants
(1)In general
Not later than 180 days after December 23, 2022, the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall create and regularly update a public website to improve education, outreach, and public information regarding grants and other public funding opportunities of the Administration related to resiliency.
(2)Contents of website
The website created under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A)Hyperlinks, descriptions, deadlines, and resources to support applicants including technical assistance and other information as the Administrator determines appropriate relating to resilience grants administered by—
(i)the Administration;
(ii)other relevant Federal agencies; or
(iii)foundations in coordination with the Administration.
(B)Information described in subparagraph (A) that is specific to supporting Tribal Governments and Tribal Colleges and Universities, and, with respect to each such grant described in paragraph (1), the contact information for an individual of the Administration who can assist Tribal Governments and Tribal Colleges and Universities in applying for such grants.
(C)Information described in subparagraph (A) that is specific to supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and, with respect to each such grant described in paragraph (1), the contact information for an individual of the Administration who can assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities in applying for such grants.
(3)Outreach
The Administrator shall conduct outreach activities to inform State, Tribal, and local governments of resiliency, adaptation, and mitigation grants that are available to such governments.
(4)Definitions
In this section: (A) Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(B)Tribal College or University
The term “Tribal College or University” has the meaning given the term in section 1059c of title 20.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, and not as part of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definitions For definitions of “Administrator”, “Administration”, and “Indian Tribe” as used in this section, see section 10102 of Pub. L. 117–263, set out as a note under section 3612 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 3613

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110