The activity of the 9,694 to 19,061 divers in Boundary Option #2 was 

 worth between $159,951 and $314,506 in 1978. 



These divers, however, do not merely dive, they stay in hotels and 

 motels, rent boats, buy air and other equipment. The multiplier of the 

 relevant sector selected this region was 2.203 (see BEA, 1977, p. 44). 

 The private recreational diving activity in Looe Key was thus considered 

 to be generating between $352,371 and $692,856 for the region in 1978. 



It was assumed from personal interviews and Survey information that 

 the recreational fishermen and others would occupy one-third of the boats. 

 This means that 1,188 to 2,336 boats would be visiting Looe Key, carrying 

 recreational fishermen, sightseers and others. The figure of $40 per boat, 

 the average rental price, was selected to place a value on the non-quanti- 

 fiable activity of recreational fishing, sightseeing, and other related 

 activities. Recreational non-diving at Looe Key, therefore, was estimated 

 to be between $47,520 and $93,440. The multiplier effect of this activity 

 would raise the total value of the activity to (BEA, 1977, p. 44) the region 

 to between 104,686 and 205,848. 



The estimated value to the community and region of the private recrea- 

 tional uses of Looe Key lies thus between $457,057 and $898,704. 



Combining the 7,500 commercially transported divers with an average of 

 15,000 divers using their own transportation and adding an estimated 5,500 

 students from Newfound Harbor Institute, the total drive/snorkler load for 

 1978 would have been 28,000 individuals. 



C-12 



