Serving 8,426 miles of coastline,
over 15M coastal residents (77% of Florida’s Population),
& over 100M visitors
Florida Sea Grant funds research that contributes to Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Resilient Communities and Economies.
New studies are examining solutions for harmful algal blooms, siting decisions for green infrastructure, improving fisheries and aquaculture, reducing marine debris and promoting spatial justice in revitalizing underserved coastal communities.
Additional funding will allow Florida Sea Grant (FSG) to increase its efforts that align with current national initiatives, benefiting even more Florida residents, visitors and businesses.
Increase living shorelines using PROS (Partnership for Plastic-free Oyster Restoration);
Launch Eyes on Sea Grass ‘citizen science’ program throughout state to monitor the health of seagrass habitats; and Support Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring, mitigation technologies and communications.
Grow restoration aquaculture as segment of Florida’s new Blue Economy;
Develop aquaculture entrepreneurship training programs that provide support for start-ups; and expand HARVEST intern program (Helping Aquaculture Reap Value & Enhance Student Training).
Increase the number of summer camps, internships, trainings and research support to minority youth, students, and faculty at MSI/HBCU’s interested in marine and coastal issues and across all disciplines –communications, anthropology, biology, ecology, sustainability, etc.
CITIZEN
SCIENCE
HEALTHY COASTS
& OCEANS
ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY
Dan Solano,
Shellfish Grower & Wholesaler
Cedar Key, Florida
The coronavirus...when it first hit in full effect, we lost accounts that we haven't picked back up. To some people, it might seem like a small amount, but it could go a long way for a family. It was a good experience and it was awesome to see everybody work together to get a good project done.
Funding reflects the calendar year
Impacts to date from programming in support of FSG’s FY2018-2023 Strategic Plan
Florida Sea Grant will continue to offer a suite of participatory science (“Citizen Science”) programs that engage and educate individuals and collect data for managing key resources including horseshoe crabs, scallops, goliath grouper, corals, lionfish and seagrasses.
Reduce waste in coastal waters by removing storm debris (e.g., damaged boats), increase the number of “Clean Marinas”, and provide boaters with sewage disposal locations in real-time through the Pumpout Nav App.
Improve marine-based recreational experiences with a focus on offshore fishing and boating including information on how to handle and release fish, where to fish, current regulations, and reducing damage to seagrasses.
Develop and train users on economic assessment tools–for recreational and commercial fisheries, coastal risks and flood damage–and forecasts of harmful algal blooms or (HABs), including communicating HAB strategies.
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Your gift to Florida Sea Grant helps strengthen our mission and directly support activities to conserve and sustain the precious ocean and coastal resources of Florida.
Escambia County
Rick
O’Connor
Rick designed virtual lessons for Florida’s marine science curriculum that received over 1,500 engaged views. All 10 schools covering marine science used the materials as did schools in four other states.
Santa Rosa County
Chris
Verlinde
Chris helped develop and offer a course on nature-based restoration and stormwater projects to local government staff. As a result, local managers have begun planning these “innovative” projects.
Okaloosa & Walton Counties
Dr. Laura
Tiu
Laura helped train 25 teachers (and over 3,000 high school students) STEM concepts through aquaculture. With USDA funding, 10 schools received recirculating systems for continued learning.
Bay County
Scott
Jackson
Scott obtained a $3 million grant to navigate property rights issues that hamper clean ups after storms, and to remove vessels that had been damaged and abandoned after Hurricane Michael.
Gulf County
Ray
Bodrey
Ray helped beachfront property owners retrofit nighttime lighting to protect sea turtle hatchlings. The Department of Health grant also ensures the safety of nighttime swimming and is more efficient.
Franklin County
Erik
Lovestrand
Erik trained volunteers as “Scallop Sitters” in St. George Sound. When the time was right the scallops were used to supplement natural spawning and improve recruitment for next year’s population.
Taylor County
Victor
Blanco
Severe storms not only prevent fishermen from working they can also damage gear. Victor worked with volunteers and a local marina to find and remove nearly 250 lost crab traps from coastal waters.
Statewide
Joy
Hazell
Through the Natural Resource Leadership Institute, an 8-month professional development course, Joy helps train the next generation of resource managers on facilitation and conflict resolution.
The Nature Coast
Dr. Savanna
Barry
Savanna led the development of the Florida Friendly Fishing Guide program that certifies charter captains in best fishing practices; nearly 100 self-employed captains gained certification in 2021.
Levy County
Leslie
Sturmer
Leslie helped develop the Online Oyster Culture Course designed for beginning growers to learn how to run a sustainable and profitable off-bottom oyster culture business in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hernando County
Brittany
Hall-Scharf
Through field work and virtual visits, Brittany helped improve a shrimper’s holding facility that preserved sales and allowed expansion into saltmarsh systems and mangroves for restoration projects.
Pinellas County
Libby
Carnahan
Libby teamed up with several local artists to combine Florida Sea Grant learning materials with art exhibitions, expanding the target audiences and allowing for greater overall community impact.
Manatee, Hillsborough & Sarasota Counties
Dr. Angela
Collins
Florida’s Artificial Reef Summit occurs only every 5 years. Angela ensured that this consequential event stayed on schedule by moving to a virtual platform and expanding participation.
Sarasota County
Armando
Ubeda
Armando helped develop and adapt an award-winning Living Shorelines training into a virtual format to reach wider audiences, among them, an environmental consultant that expanded and diversified.
Collier County
Michael
Sipos
Mike used his aquaculture knowledge to diagnose and recommend changes to a bait shop’s operations that saved $10,000 last year from reducing tank salinity and increasing the survival of bait shrimp.
Monroe County
Shelly
Krueger
Shelly helped an HOA in the Florida Keys by determining the source of fish kills in nearshore lagoons and identifying an effective solution that has preserved fish populations valuable to residents.
Miami-Dade County
Ana
Zangroniz
Ana created a virtual version of the Florida Master Naturalist program, which not only educates residents but also empowers them to use their knowledge to help their local communities.
Martin & St. Lucie Counties
Dr. Vincent
Encomio
Vincent taught a stormwater education course that inspired a residential and marina manager to undertake a comprehensive green initiative, dedicating $10,000 to reduce waste (including plastic).
The Southeast
Dr. Lisa
Krimsky
Lisa determined that social marketing can be used to improve homeowners’ willingness to convert from septic to sewer water systems, a switch that can improve nearshore water quality in South Florida.
Brevard County
Holly
Abeels
Holly organized nearly 50 volunteers that contributed hundreds of hours to survey the local horseshoe crab population. FWC used the data to estimate and manage the stock of this valuable species.
Clean Vessels
Vicki
Gambale
Vicki has been verifying Florida’s Clean Marinas and adding information to the Pumpout Nav app that shows recreational boaters where to offload raw sewage, diverting these wastes from coastal waters.
coastal ecosystems & watersheds
Dr. Anna
Braswell
As a coastal macrosystem ecologist, Ana connects upland, marine and human systems. For example, she uses Zillow data to better model the vulnerability of coastal economies to environmental change.
coastal planning
Thomas
Ruppert, Esq.
Through work with local governments on resilience, climate change, and sea-level rise adaptation, Thomas strengthened local policy by providing legal expertise on property rights law.
Coral Disease
Maurizio
Martinelli
Maurizio helps organize over 300 government, academic, research, non-profit and aquarium participants that are working to respond to the threat of stony coral tissue loss disease in Florida.
Coral Disease
Caroline
McLaughlin
Caroline led four workshops with more than 150 participants and produced guidelines to prepare communities in the US Indo-Pacific for the potential arrival of a deadly coral disease.
harmful algal blooms
Betty
Staugler
As the NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Liaison, Betty helps improve data-driven tools for the public and decision-makers and coordinates HAB outreach and communications nationwide.
Marine Resource Economics
Dr. Andrew
Ropicki
Andrew develops online financial tools to help seafood and aquaculture producers and harvesters assess the profitability of different management decisions, such as whether to lease or finance growth.
oil spills
Monica
Wilson
Monica worked with state agencies to provide online HAZWOPER training during COVID-19, allowing dozens of emergency responders to remain certified to address hazardous materials or animals.
Seafood Safety
Dr. Razieh
Farzad
Razieh held live online “office hours” to answer food safety questions to increase consumer confidence in eating local fish and shellfish. She also provided required training for industry workers.
Sustainable Fisheries
Nick
Haddad
Nick leads a 7-year effort to train recreational anglers on how to best release small reef fish for continued growth and reproduction, that hopefully will lead to larger stocks in the Gulf of Mexico.
host institution
University of
Florida
The University of Florida, a leading Land Grant institution, is host to the Florida Sea Grant College Program, which partners closely with UF/IFAS Extension to deliver impactful programs statewide.
Bay, Franklin, Gulf & Hernando Counties
Regional
Highlight
To increase stocks of bay scallops and generate sustained economic benefits from recreational scalloping, Extension agents trained 132 volunteer “Scallop Sitters” to protect and manage 5,400 scallops.
Okaloosa & Walton Counties
Regional
Highlight
Extension agents helped remove 10,250 invasive fish to protect native species on local reefs. The Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day events also supplied local markets with a unique seafood delicacy.
Levy, Sarasota & Brevard Counties
Regional
Highlight
After Covid interrupted local markets, our novel Clam Buyback program bought 450,000 large clams from Florida’s west coast growers and moved them to restoration sites in the Indian River Lagoon.
Charlotte & Sarasota Counties
Regional
Highlight
To address an emerging concern, local Extension Agents mobilized their National Estuary Program and Water Management District partners to hold a 2-day Macroalgae workshop attended by over 200 people.
Gulf Counties (Escambia to Collier)
Regional
Highlight
To address the information needs of residents, visitors, and businesses during red tide events, state agencies are using a comprehensive communications plan developed by our Extension agents.
Northeast Florida (Nassau & Duval Counties)
Regional
Highlight
With Edwards-Waters College and the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, a new project will address spatial justice as resilience initiatives are considered in neighborhood revitalization plans.