Rex Caffey
Professor | Director of Marine Extension, Louisiana Sea Grant Louisiana State University
- Baton Rouge LA
Dr. Caffey conducts research related to the economic and policy challenges of fisheries and coastal wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico region.
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Research Focus
Fisheries Economics & Ecosystem Services Valuation
Dr. Caffey’s research focuses on coastal and marine resource economics—fisheries, aquaculture, and the valuation of ecosystem services linked to Gulf Coast restoration. He blends geospatial market analysis, bioeconomic and cost-benefit modeling, and stakeholder surveys to price natural assets, steer aquaculture policy, and optimize investments in coastal protection and seafood supply chains.
Education
Louisiana State University
Ph.D.
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
1998
Louisiana State University
M.S.
Natural Resource Economics
1994
Louisiana State University
B.S.
Agricultural Business
1988
Media Appearances
Report: Hurricanes cost commercial fishing and seafood sectors $580 million
National Fisherman online
2022-01-18
Dr. Rex Caffey of LSU Sea Grant led the team that compiled information for the “Infrastructure, Revenue and Resource Losses to Louisiana Fisheries From the Hurricanes of 2020 and 2021” report after a request by the Louisiana Fishing Community Recovery Coalition. The coalition is comprised of members from every aspect of the state’s seafood industry, as well as members of state and federal offices.
Articles
Mixed-mode surveys reveal shared regulatory preferences in an overfished recreational fishery
Human Dimensions of Wildlife2025
Population declines of spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus have reached levels that warrant management action in Louisiana, USA waters. As regulatory adjustments are necessary to recover the stock, we evaluated the viability of recovery options while gathering preference data from respondents through three survey modes. The modes applied were: (1) a series of public scoping meetings, (2) a probability-based sample of fishing license-holders, and (3) an open-access online survey. Among survey modes, significant differences were seen in avidity, typical harvest, and perceptions of the fishery, indicating that we captured responses from three distinct user groups. Despite these differences, several common themes emerged among all three survey types.
Economic analysis of off-bottom oyster culture
Aquaculture Economics & Management2024
We analyze costs, break-even prices, and profits for multiple scales of operation of an off-bottom oyster culture operation, ranging from 27,000 oysters planted on half an acre to 1.28 million oysters planted on four acres. The analysis focuses on the first five years of operation and accounts for factors such as operation startup, periodic adverse environmental conditions, variations in stocking and mortality rates, method of sale, and price to grower. We estimate total annual cost, including depreciation and interest on invested capital, labor, fuel, seed, and other expenses, to range from approximately $50,000 to operate a single line of floating bags to approximately $250,000 to operate twenty-four lines.
The economics of sediment quality on barrier shoreline restoration
Journal of Environmental Management2022
This paper depicts a simulation-based assessment of sediment quality on the performance of dedicated dredging projects for barrier island restoration in coastal Louisiana, USA. The research involved the development and integration of two sub-models. In the first, geomorphic modeling was used to simulate sediment transport dynamics within a proxy barrier island template over a 50-year trajectory. The template was assumed to be nourished with one of two sources of dredged material: nearshore (NS) sediments of lower quality (smaller grain diameter, higher organic fines); or higher quality sediments from distal sources located on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In the second model, agency project records and commercial bids were used to estimate project construction costs as a function of dredge material quantity, transport distance, and project target elevation.
Economic values of potential regulation changes for the southern flounder fishery in Louisiana
Marine and Coastal Fisheries2022
Population declines of Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma have reached levels that present management concerns in Louisiana waters. As the need for regulatory change in this fishery approaches, we conducted a survey to better characterize the Southern Flounder fishery in Louisiana, with two primary goals: (1) determining a value for the economic welfare provided by the fishery and (2) evaluating how this value might change in response to hypothetical regulation scenarios. Based on total travel cost estimates, the aggregate economic value of the Southern Flounder fishery among coastal Louisiana anglers reached an estimated US$119.7 million; however, this value primarily stems from anglers targeting multiple species during their coastal angling trips, as the value of the Southern Flounder fishery while only accounting for anglers that solely targeted this species amounted to an estimated $8.4 million.
COVID-19 influences on US recreational angler behavior
PLoS One2021
Recreational angling in the United States (US) is largely a personal hobby that scales up to a multibillion-dollar economic activity. Given dramatic changes to personal decisions and behaviors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed recreational anglers across the US to understand how the pandemic may have affected their fishing motivations and subsequent activities. Nearly a quarter million anglers from 10 US states were invited to participate in the survey, and almost 18,000 responded. Anglers reported numerous effects of the pandemic, including fishing access restrictions. Despite these barriers, we found that the amount of fishing in the spring of 2020 was significantly greater—by about 0.2 trips per angler—than in non-pandemic springs. Increased fishing is likely associated with our result that most respondents considered recreational angling to be a COVID-19 safe activity.
