IV-207 



The discussion of Narragansett Bay has been almost entirely from 

 an economic viewpoint. Such discussions are necessarily limited 

 to calculations based on individual values, and cannot consider 

 the value of the general marine environment. This can be established 

 only from the attitudes of an entire community to the estuarine 

 resource. 



APALACHICOLA BAY 

 (IV. 3. 2) 



Apalachicola Bay, located in Florida off the Gulf of Mexico, provides 

 a direct contrast with Narragansett Bay. This is important not 

 only in illustrating the diversity of uses to which estuaries cur- 

 rently are put, but also in providing a basis for evaluating an 

 estuary's socioeconomic situation on a different, and possibly more 

 meaningful , basis. 



Apalachicola Bay, unlike Narragansett Bay, is not a berthing place 

 for military vessels and, accordingly, does not have the type of 

 economy which a significant military complex engenders. Nor is the 

 coastal estuary a commercial port of importance. Rather, studies 

 have shown the present and potential importance of commercial fish- 

 ing, recreation, and tourism to this estuary. 



Commercial Fisheries 



The economic base of Franklin County, Florida, the land area upon 

 which the Bay is located, is unusually narrow. Dependence on 



