Bay Scallop recovery efforts in the waters off Charlotte County will be getting a much needed boost on Sunday, Dec. 16 when 8 million young scallop larvae are released into local waters. The release is being spearheaded by Florida Sea Grant agent Betty Staugler, Charlotte County, with assistance from area volunteers, the Florida Fish and…
(GAINESVILLE, Fla.) – Martin B. “Marty” Main, creator of the statewide Florida Master Naturalist Program, has been named assistant director of education and extension for the Florida Sea Grant College Program, and associate dean of natural resource programs for the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. In his new position, Main will help guide Florida Sea Grant…
Responding to the oyster fishery collapse in Apalachicola Bay, experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida Sea Grant are joining forces with local seafood producers to find ways of restoring sustainable populations of the area’s world-famous oysters. Apalachicola, a heritage fishing community in the Big Bend region off…
A recent article in the New York Times, available here, emphasizes how those impacted by Hurricane Sandy and trying to rebuild may be looking at new requirements to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or, if they already had coverage under the NFIP, their rates may go up dramatically during the…
After the incredible destruction and suffering that Sandy brought to the United States’ northeast, talk is now turning to how to rebuild and how to avoid more such disasters in the future. Most ideas span a continuum. This continuum runs from what sea-level and coastal-adaptation specialists call “protection” at one end to “accommodation” to “relocation”…
Doug Gregory, Monroe County Extension Director and Florida Sea Grant extension agent, was recently awarded the Don Sweat Sea Grant Extension Award. The award is presented annually to a Florida Sea Grant agent who takes initiative, creativity and leadership in his or her extension program. Since 1991, Gregory has served as a valuable resource to…
Florida Sea Grant demonstrated its commitment to solution-oriented research and exceptional extension, and its appreciation for the service of volunteer advisors with four awards at the inaugural Coastal Science Symposium on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the University of Florida. Each award winner is pictured with Florida Sea Grant Director Karl Havens. Dr. Mahmood Shivji of…
The Miami Herald picked up on the story of the need for coastal communities to update infrastructure to address sea-level rise in an article that appears here. The article emphasizes the high costs to prepare infrastructure for both current and future sea levels. For example, each of many stormwater pumps necessary in southeast Florida can…
Florida Sea Grant is currently funding research that is the first in the southeastern U.S. to adapt the forerunner of new fisheries models to grouper populations off Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coast. The Ecopath modeling software suite generates powerful computer simulations that could help fisheries managers better estimate the size of grouper, snapper and other…
Deep-freezing sea oats seeds and sheets may create business opportunities for commercial growers when dunes need restoring Sea oats are much more than decorative beach foliage. The wispy grass creates a natural barrier between land and water by trapping wind-blown sand, providing stability in beach dunes. A Florida Sea Grant researcher is developing novel techniques…