Specifications include, but are not limited to: Delaware’s coastal wetlands serve great ecological, economical, and social importance to the lives of residents and visitors of Delaware’s coastal zone. However, climate, land-use, population, and sea level changes, among others, pose unprecedented disturbances to these important habitats. The DNERR is a place-based “living laboratory” making it an ideal location to study the social and economic effects of changing ecosystems, environmental processes, biodiversity, and coastal resource use. In accordance to the 2013-2018 DNERR management plan, research priorities and goals have been identified to better understand both natural and human-caused impacts on the estuarine systems within Delaware represented by the St. Jones and Blackbird Creek components of the DNERR. The primary objective of this RFP is to conduct novel research which will advance our research priority to increase social and economic research at the DNERR. The proposed project should also have transferability to the education, technical assistance, and stewardship efforts at the DNERR. Potential social and/or economic topics could include, but are not limited to: 1. Quantifying the social value of tidal wetlands 2. Evaluating wetland ecosystem services 3. Evaluating the socioeconomic cost of wetland loss
