Florida’s Water Reckoning and the Rising Cost of Climate Change  

When someone hears “Florida,” the ocean and beaches are often the first image that comes to mind. Florida’s ocean connection generated $39.9 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 and paid $20.6 billion in wages, with tourism and recreation being the largest marine employer and source of GDP.^[1] In fact, Florida employs more people in marine endeavors than any other state. This is not surprising as the ocean created all the land that we call Florida today. However, it is also the ocean that is generating Florida’s greatest climate impacts.