Ahead of the Class: Florida Sea Grant Delivers Marine ... · traditional K-12 teachers and...

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This publication was supported by the National Sea Grant Col-lege Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under NOAAGrant No. 16 RG-2195. The views expressed are those of theauthor and do not necessarily reflect the views of these organiza-tions.April 2005 TP 139

Florida is sometimes called a state with two oceans back-to-back. Andeach day, educating Floridians about their coastal environment becomesmore essential to protecting these ocean resources for futuresustainability.

It is not surprising that numerous academic, governmental, private andnonprofit organizations devoted to marine research and education existhere. Florida Sea Grant collaborates with these groups to providespecialized programs and opportunities to a wide range of users, fromhighly technical industry groups to scientists and resource professionals totraditional K-12 teachers and students.

All Sea Grant county faculty, regional faculty and statewide specialistscontribute to this effort. The investment is equivalent to 2 1/2 peoplededicated to marine and aquatic science education, full time, year long.Florida Sea Grant continues to make this investment because it pays off inincreased public literacy about coastal issues and more responsible oceanusers.

At the same time, investing in coastal and marine education is only partof what the Florida Sea Grant College Program does. Florida Sea Grantalso brings a network of university-based researchers to bear on thestate’s coastal problems. Sea Grant fosters collaboration between theeducation and scientific communities to ensure that research findings andscientific information are available to Floridians.

Over time, this investment in research, education, and extension hasinfluenced important issues and produced substantial positive results. Thispublication reviews a selected assortment of collaborative efforts andeducational activities that are helping our state’s citizens and businessesbetter manage their fragile coastal resources.

Please also visit the Florida Sea Grant website (www.flseagrant. org),which provides a thorough documentation of our mission and goals, ourresearch and extension programs, and the partnership we build betweenNOAA and Florida’s universities, marine research organizations,businesses, governments and citizens.

Jim CatoDirectorFlorida Sea Grant College Program

FRONT COVER: Florida Sea Grant county extension faculty often work with K-12 audiences,providing marine education inside and outside the classroom to thousands of youth annually.LeRoy Creswell of St. Lucie County conducts his 4-H youth “lagoon days” program. He also worksclosely with the county’s marine center and school district providing programs such as “motion inthe oceans” and “ecosystem explorers.” (Tom Wright, UF/IFAS)

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Ahead of the Class:Florida Sea Grant Delivers Marine Education

Florida Sea Grant College ProgramUniversity of FloridaPO Box 110400Gainesville, FL 32611-0400

www.flseagrant.org

Contents

4 Investing in Coastal and Marine Education

7 Community Education

13 Industry Education

21 Scientific and Professional Education

27 Agency and Organization Education

33 Formal K-12 Education

39 Youth Education

43 Florida SeaGrant Online

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For Florida’s 17.1 millionresidents and about 78 millionannual visitors, the coast is amajor attraction and an importantpart of their environment.Nowhere in the United States areso many people so close to such anextensive and economicallyvaluable coastline.

The pressures, wants, and needs users placeon coastal resources all combine to makeunderstanding and managing one of the mostfragile environments on earth a difficult andoften controversial undertaking.

Florida Sea Grant has a vital role to fill inthis complex endeavor, and has assumed aleadership role in the creation of a better-informed and more responsible populace —one that recognizes its impact on the quality ofthe environment. This understanding isessential for Floridians to rationally managecontinued growth in the coastal zone, as wellas to equitably resolve the ever-increasingcompetition for coastal resources.

Investing inCoastal and Marine Education

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Beyond the Traditional ClassroomWhile Florida’s schools and universities

provide structure and visibility for how ourcitizens and visitors learn about the marineenvironment, Sea Grant educational programsoften move into more informal classroomsettings where specialized learning andpractical skills can be acquired moreeffectively.

Using a combination of research, educationand technology transfer, Sea Grant extensionand communications programs interpret anddeliver information to audiences in a formatthey can use. Efforts are focused among sixprincipal stakeholder groups: citizens of localcommunities; the state’s industry; scientistsand academic professionals; governmentaland non-governmental managers of coastalresources; K-12 educators; and youths. Someof the programs may be recognized ascontinuing education, professionaldevelopment, or executive education; all aredelivered with a strategic approach designedto solve specific problems or help its citizensmake Florida a better place to live.

(Clockwise, from top) Riviera Beach’s scenic, all-weatherharbor is a popular stopover for sailboats headed to theBahamas. School children examine water samples takenfrom an estuary in Brevard County during a Sea Grantsummer marine camp.The Fort Pierce City Marina, locatedin the heart of the city’s historic downtown riverfront, hasearned Clean Marina designation. (Tom Wright, UF/IFAS)

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Activity by Florida Sea Grant goal areas, 2002–04

Florida Sea Grant audience type, 2002–04

Educational events by Florida Sea Grant geographicarea of delivery, 2002–04

Recent Educational EventsWorkshops and conferences are a

major outreach activity of FloridaSea Grant’s non-formal educationinitiative. In most cases, theseevents are held to accomplishspecific objectives planned by SeaGrant’s research or extensionfaculty. From 2002 to 2004, theydelivered a total of 1,570educational events, includingpresentations at scientificconferences, workshops organizedby Sea Grant Extension faculty,marine science 4-H camps, K-12teacher education events andinternational conferences.

As the figures (right) indicate, theactivities are organized along atleast one of Florida Sea Grant’s tengoal areas, although the number ofevents in each goal area may vary.The principal areas of emphasis areinformed citizens (23.4%), coastalhabitat (18.7%), and fisheries(17.3%) education.

When organized among the sixprincipal stakeholders groups,about one quarter (24.4%) of SeaGrant programs is delivered to thestate’s industrial users, closelyfollowed by scientists and otheracademic professionals andcommunities.

Few organizations have thebreadth and depth of focus onmulti-disciplinary marine andcoastal issues statewide that FloridaSea Grant brings to the educationalprocess. The following pages reviewhow Sea Grant invests in thescientific and environmentaleducation of the state’s citizenry, anecessary step for the state toremain competitive in the nationaland world economy whileconserving its coastal resources.

Marine Biotechnology

Fisheries

Aquaculture

Seafood Safety

Water-dependent Businesses

Water Quality

Coastal Habitats

Coastal Storms

Highly Trained Workforce

Informed Citizens

Percent� 25�� 20�� 15�� 10�� 5�� 0

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CommunityEducationCommunity education programs are less technical and thus more general innature than other Florida Sea Grant (FSG) programs. Some call this“informal education,” a lifelong process where individuals acquireawareness, attitudes, values, skills, and knowledge from daily experiences.FSG efforts may focus on the value of estuaries, how to be good citizensand protect the coastal environment, or the biological reasons a newfishery regulation is put in place. Methods may range from a presentation tocommunity leaders at a Rotary or Kiwanis Club meeting, to participating in atelevision show on coastal conservation that reaches millions, to showing acondominium association the way to protect coastal dunes with sea oats.

Educating Floridians about the state’s marine environment is essential to ensuring the responsibleuse and sustainability of coastal resources. Here, swimmers enjoy the waters off Gulf IslandsNational Seashore near Pensacola. (Eric Zamora, UF/IFAS)

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Putting Sharks in PerspectiveSharks and their relatives, the skates and rays, are in

serious worldwide decline from over-fishing and habitatdestruction. Yet when a few highly publicized sharkattacks on humans in the summer of 2002 created anational groundswell of public fear and speculation, theneed to develop and distribute better information aboutthe realities of sharks became apparent.

In direct response to a request from the U.S.Department of Commerce, Florida Sea Grant broughttogether more than 200 resource managers, educatorsand media representatives in a national conference,Sharks in Perspective: From Fear to Fascination. Conferencepresenters, some of the nation’s leading experts on sharkissues, helped defuse many highly charged issues byexplaining basic biological attributes of sharks,precautions beach-goers could take to minimize theincidental shark bites that occur, and fisherymanagement strategies in place to protect endangeredand threatened shark species.

Understanding Florida BayFlorida Bay, the estuary where fresh water from the

Everglades mixes with the salty waters from the Gulf ofMexico and Atlantic Ocean, has undergone significantdegradation from manmade problems in the Evergladesand its watershed. From 1998 to 2002, Florida Sea Grantmanaged an educational effort that reached more than

Remember Summer of the Shark?As part of a national educationeffort to replace shark mythswith shark science during thesummer of 2002, Florida SeaGrant helped organize aconference for educators andresource managers in Tampa, anda media briefing at the NationalPress Club in Washington, D.C.(Florida Sea Grant)

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unity•Industry•Scientific and Profefive million residents of South Florida with information aboutdozens of ongoing NOAA research projects in the area. More than65 bilingual project profiles were written and distributed; aresource directory, a quarterly newsletter and a series of FloridaBay Watch synthesis and analysis reports were also completed withpartners. A low-power radio station and weekly radioprogramming reached Keys residents and visitors alike. TheFlorida Bay Project productions are archived at:www.floridabay.org.

Enriching EnvironmentalAwareness

The Florida Master Naturalist Program, an award-winningadult education program developed by faculty from the Universityof Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS),offers courses in three subject areas: freshwater wetlands, coastalsystems, and upland habitats. Florida Sea Grant providedsubstantial funds and technical assistance to the program’s coastalsystems module, a program that earned a national award for bestvideo series in the 2003 Association for Communication Excellencecompetition. Since 2001, Master Naturalist has graduated nearly2,000 people; many of these ‘graduates’ received additionalinstructor training and now provide training at the communitylevel, with course offerings in 45 counties throughout Floridainvolving more than 85 organizations.

REDstart:Volunteers Restock Redfish

REDstart is a fishery stocking program involving sportfishermen, fishery biologists, local volunteers and others concernedabout the sustainability of sport fish stocks in the Charlotte Harborarea, particularly redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus). Under the FloridaSea Grant umbrella, REDstart involves a dedicated group ofcitizen-volunteers, Lee County Cooperative Extension, the J.N.Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and the Fisheries StockEnhancement Program (a partnership program between MoteMarine Laboratory and Florida Fish and Wildlife ConservationCommission). It also involves an impressive line-up of fishingtournaments, the South Florida Water Management District andthe City of Sanibel, which have all contributed to a $350,000grow-out facility that has been built at the Sanibel-CaptivaConservation Foundation Marine Laboratory on Sanibel Island.

Bob Wasno, Florida SeaGrant marine agent inLee County, displays ayoung REDstart redfishready for release.Volunteers from thecommunity have loggedmore than 6,200 hoursbuilding and maintainingthe REDstart aquaculturefacility on Sanibel Island.(Florida Sea Grant)

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TOP: Though rip currents can be found on beaches every day, their strength and speed oftenincrease following storm events, as illustrated by this rip current which formed on Florida’sAtlantic coast following Hurricane Jeanne. (Dennis Decker, National Weather Service)

BOTTOM: Florida Sea Grant provides rip current materials, signage and other resources to localcommunities that will help beachgoers identify rip currents and avoid becoming their nextvictim. (Florida Sea Grant)

Improving Rip CurrentUnderstanding

Rip currents are a beachgoer’s number onesafety hazard. In Florida alone, they accountedfor 33 deaths in 2003, and eight more duringjust one summer month in 2004. Florida SeaGrant county extension faculty have recentlypartnered with local and state emergencypersonnel to help educate beachgoers about thethreat of rip currents, and what to do if theybecome caught in a current. Florida Sea Grant,

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unity•Industry•Scientific and Profein collaboration with eight other state Sea Grantprograms in the U.S., produced and distributedthousands of rip current brochures and postersduring 2002 and 2003. In 2004, Sea Grant wasone of a group of NOAA agencies that, togetherwith the U.S. Lifesaving Association, launched anationwide rip current safety awarenesscampaign, supported with informational videos,signage, brochures, and the definitive website,http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov, featuring“Break the Grip of the Rip.”

Florida Sea Grant-funded researchers are alsodeveloping scientific models that may predict ripcurrent formation. Early in 2004, Floridaconvened a national researcher’s workshop inJacksonville to give scientists the opportunity toexplore the use of their predictive methodologiesin surf zone forecasting.

Scallops are a popular Floridacatch for snorkelers in hotsummer months, and thanks torecent restoration efforts,portions of the state’s westcoast once closed to scallopinghave reopened in the past fewyears. Since the reopening,Florida Sea Grant has producedand distributed more than 20,000“how-to, where-to” informationalbrochures for this fun and easypastime that appeals to anglersof all ages. Florida Sea Grantplayed a major role in helpingrestore the fishery, and nowcommunity businesses arereaping dividends, too.Economists estimate CitrusCounty’s 2003 scallop seasonprovided 35 new jobs and anadditional $1.5 million in businessrevenues. (Florida Sea Grant)

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Florida Sea Grant helps communitiesprotect their local waters. At left, FloridaSea Grant marine extension agent MaiaMcGuire implemented a monofilamentrecycling campaign designed toencourage northeast Florida communitiesto protect wildlife, people and propertyfrom hazards posed by discarded strandsof fishing line. Volunteers collect themonofilament and send it to a tacklecompany for recycling. The program hasbeen replicated by Sea Grant extensionfaculty across the state.

Below, in 2004, over 90 volunteerspulled 7,500 pounds of bottles, cans,monofilament line and other debris fromCharlotte Harbor’s Boca Grande Pass inletduring an all-volunteer cleanup. FloridaSea Grant has organized this communityeffort for three consecutive years: anaverage of 45 divers, 35 support boatcaptains and 14 government agencies areinvolved annually. Altogether, more than21,000 pounds of marine debris have beenrecovered. (Milt Putnam, UF/IFAS; FloridaSea Grant)

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IndustryEducation“Science Serving Florida’s Coast” perhaps describes industry education aswell as any of Florida Sea Grant’s education programs. Teaching industryrequires science-based information that is highly technical in nature andspecifically targeted so businesses can better manage operations, developnew product lines, cut costs, increase revenues, or respond to yet anotherregulation. Examples include an annual shrimp school that draws the world’smajor shrimp companies; a workshop for oyster processors to learn thelatest techniques to increase the safety of their products; or a marinaoperators’ meeting designed to teach how to make their marina “clean”with no detrimental effect on coastal waters.

Seafood HACCP training developed by Sea Grant remains the national program for seafoodprocessing and importing in the United States. It has become a world standard for food safety;recently, the protocol was adopted by U.S. processors of juice products. (Tom Wright, UF/IFAS)

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Marine BiotechnologyA comparatively young sector of Florida’s

overall biotechnology industry, marinebiotechnology seeks to develop products andprocesses from the ocean’s living resourcesthrough advanced cellular and molecularinvestigations. Florida Sea Grant is working toenhance both the immediate quality of andfuture funding base for research and education inmarine biotechnology. By closely targetingleaders in academic research and economicdevelopment, Florida Sea Grant encouragesdecision making that enhances lines ofinvestment and research. Ultimately, this willpromote job growth, international economiccompetitiveness, and environmental benefits forthe state.

For the academic community, WilliamSeaman, professor and associate director ofFlorida Sea Grant, has initiated a series of marinebiotechnology summits for scientists and theirgraduate students to build cohesion amongFlorida’s faculty and students. Summits oftenfeature out-of-state keynote speakers, a

Florida Sea Grant is fostering aneffort by scientists andeducators to promote marinebiotechnology research toventure capitalists and legislativestaff. Sea Grant coordinates amarine biotechnology summit,which has grown into animportant opportunity forFlorida’s academic community toshowcase achievements toinvestors. A collection ofpublications, including acorporate prospectus titled ThePromise of Marine Biotechnologyin Florida, and pages on theNational Sea Grant program’smarine biotechnology web site,are written in non-technicallanguage to de-mystify complextopics and support the outreacheffort. (Florida Sea Grant)

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unity•Industry•Scientific and Profcommercialization panel, poster sessions,laboratory site visits, and plenaryscientific presentations. Attendees haverepeatedly praised the emphasis onscience and the opportunity for technicalnetworking that these gatherings afford,and continue to support them withincreased turnout. From the group of 15that convened the initial summit,attendance has risen steadily, from 45 to74 in subsequent years. In 2004, theprestigious BIOFlorida trade associationinvited the fourth summit to be held inconjunction with its annual meeting.Attendance was 430, a new high forboth meetings.

The relationship with BIOFloridaprovides an important link to industryprofessionals, both for developingcooperation between faculty andindustry, and for informing industryleaders about the opportunities forfunding, application andcommercialization of discoveries. SeaGrant participated in the foundingorganizational committee forBIOFlorida, and is represented on itscurrent board of directors. In addition tothe joint 2004 meetings, Florida SeaGrant has organized sessions on marinebiotechnology for two previousBIOFlorida annual meetings.

Educating with EconomicsFlorida Sea Grant has a long track record of

supporting the state’s marine industries byproviding essential economic informationthrough a one-two combination of research andextension. In fact, Florida hired one of the firstextension marine economists in the entire SeaGrant network (1973), and has maintained thisas a major program element ever since.Researchers and Sea Grant extension economistChuck Adams, a professor of food and resourceeconomics at the University of Florida, workhand-in-hand to identify high priority needs forresearch, and then feed the research results backto industry leaders in a form they can use.

As part of a USAID/NOAAHurricane Mitch recoveryprogram, Florida Sea Grantcollaborated in thedemonstration of a commercial-scale shrimp culture system inNicaragua using zero water-exchange technology. Sea Grantdirector Jim Cato and marineeconomist Chuck Adamspresented a complete economicanalysis of the project to thelocal shrimp farmers, bankers,and regulators in two workshops.Most of the attendees said theywould use the information duringthe next growing season. (FloridaSea Grant)

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In recent years, Sea Grant’s economists haveanalyzed the costs and returns from a zero-waterexchange shrimp aquaculture demonstration inNicaragua; summarized domestic andinternational market trends for the state’sgrowing marine ornamental species industry;and assisted Florida’s commercial shrimpers withtheir application for financial relief granted bythe federal Trade Adjustment Assistanceprogram. The ongoing baseline economicsresearch Sea Grant generates for the hard clam,scallop, and recreational fishing industry sectors,among others, gives trade groups, potentialinvestors, and managers the science-basedinformation they need to make decisions thatprovide for the sustainable use of Florida’s marineresources.

Fact-Finding CapacityDue to its reputation as an “honest broker” of

information, Florida Sea Grant often coordinatesfact-finding projects and meetings that bringtogether the fishing industry, scientists, andresource managers to discuss the current state ofa fishery, as well as its future research needs.

In 2002, the Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission asked Florida SeaGrant to collect opinions and information fromstakeholders in the blue crab industry as thecommission pondered changes to an existingpermit moratorium. Florida Sea Grant used itsnetwork of county extension faculty to hold 16workshops for more than 200 individuals.Extension faculty learned the industry hadconcerns about what should replace themoratorium, and trap and license limitations,but supported stronger measures to reducepoaching and environmental degradation. Thereport served as the basis for a subsequent set ofpublic hearings in 2003.

To help coastal communityleaders, managers and industryprofessionals better understandthe importance of usingenvironmental economics in theirdecisions, Florida Sea Grantprovided publishing support forFlorida Coastal EnvironmentalResources: A Guide to EconomicValuation and Impact Analysis.Collaborators includedresearchers from the universitiesof Maryland, Miami, and CentralFlorida; and economists fromNOAA. Copies were distributedto more than 200 environmentalconsulting firms and virtuallyevery college and universitylibrary in the state. (Florida SeaGrant)

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IdentifyingResearch Needs

Spiny lobsters are important to bothcommercial and recreational fishermen in theFlorida Keys, yet the fishery is undergoing majorchanges from regulation and waterfrontdevelopment. Florida Sea Grant has supportedthe lobster fishery in the Keys for the past 30years through research and extension education.A 2003 workshop organized by Doug Gregory,Monroe County Extension Director and Sea Grantagent, provided the opportunity forcollaborations between scientists and fishermenon current research projects and future researchneeds. More than 100 attended, including about50 spiny lobster fishermen and a number ofscientists who reported results of Florida SeaGrant funded research on the species. About 85percent of attendees considered the workshop asuccess and indicated they would like to seesimilar workshops in the future on other species.

Spiny lobster is an economicallyimportant species to thecommercial fishing industry inthe Florida Keys. A recentconference sponsored by SeaGrant Extension with assistancefrom the Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission andMonroe County CommercialFishermen examined morecritically what is and is notknown about the spiny lobsterand the dynamics of the fishery.

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Leslie Sturmer, wholeads the ShellfishAquaculture ExtensionProgram in Florida,examines seed clamsthat were remotely setin a land-based nurserysystem. This technology,used in the PacificNorthwest oysterindustry, is beingevaluated by Florida SeaGrant for the Floridacultured hard clamindustry as a way tohelp clam growersbecome less dependentupon more costly seedsources. (Eric Zamora,UF/IFAS)

Helping Clam GrowersOne notable outcome of Florida’s 1994 ban on gill net fishing has

been the birth and growth of an economically viable cultured hardclam industry. Florida Sea Grant has partnered with governmentagencies and industry leaders to provide business managementtraining, nursery technology and seafood safety techniques forgrowers. Florida’s cultured hard clam industry now annuallygenerates nearly $34 million in output, $9 million in labor incomeand $12 million in value added.

Together with county-based Sea Grant extension faculty, ChuckAdams and Leslie Sturmer have held dozens of educationalprograms and workshops for shellfish farmers throughout thestate. Emphasis has been on growout production technology, seedproduction, product quality, marketing, water quality andorganizational development – integral elements of managementstrategies that result in profitable, sustainable production of hardclams in Florida.

Sturmer and Adams have been instrumental in obtainingsanctions to allow hard clam growers to qualify for USDA cropinsurance — the first eligibility of its kind for marine aquaculturein the United States. They have also developed a user-friendlysoftware program that lets growers track clams from the originalseed purchase, through nursery/grow-out, planting, to finalharvest, accounting for operating expenses and capital purchases.

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As part of its organizational effort, Florida Sea Grantprepared these publications for the international MarineOrnamentals 2001 conference, which attracted 336participants from 23 countries. (Florida Sea Grant)

U.S. consumers are eating moreshrimp than ever, but increasedimports of farmed shrimp havesent earnings of U.S. shrimpersto historic lows. Imports nowsupply as much as 85 percent ofthe U.S. market, and manydomestic harvesters are facingbankruptcy. Florida Sea Grantcoordinated a series of 16 tradeassistance workshops to Florida’sshrimp fleet through the federalTrade Adjustment Assistanceprogram. To receive theprogram’s cash benefits,producers had to attend one ofthe workshops for technicalassistance and training. SeaGrant extension economistChuck Adams provided theeconomic analysis that qualifiedshrimpers for the benefits;seafood specialists and 13 SeaGrant extension facultycoordinated delivery of theworkshops. Adams also providestechnical support to theindustry through timelypresentations. In a recentconference on internationalagricultural trade disputesattended by policymakers,industry groups, and tradelawyers, Adams examined the useof trade barriers, import quotas,and import tariffs to relieve theplight of U.S. shrimp fishermen.(Tara Piasio, UF/IFAS)

Aquaculture andMarine Ornamentals

The commercial aquaculture industry in Floridacontinues to grow in economic importance and diversity.Florida Sea Grant is providing technical assistance tosupport the sustainable growth of this industry,internationally as well as statewide. More species areaquacultured in Florida than any other U.S. state, and therising industry is now valued at about $100 million. Mostof that value comes from the culture of freshwaterornamental fish, but a growing marine aquaculturesector is becoming more visible and attractive to potentialinvestors.

Chuck Adams has teamed with researchers Donna Leeand Sherry Larkin, both in the University of Florida’sFood and Resource Economics Department, to provideindustry groups, potential investors, and fisheriesmanagers with research on the value of the marineornamental species industry in Florida and an evaluationof international trade in live species. Florida Sea Grantwas also one of the sponsors for Marine Ornamentals ’04,the third in a series of international conferences for themarine ornamentals industry to meet and discuss issuescritical to its future. In 2001, Florida Sea Grant was thelead sponsor and organizer. In between, Florida Sea GrantDirector Jim Cato, having served on the organizingcommittee for all three international conferences to date,co-edited Marine Ornamental Species: Collection, Cultureand Conservation. This book is the most comprehensiveresource available on the growing and economicallyimportant marine ornamental industry.

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Seafood SafetyFood safety training for the nation’s

seafood industry ranks among the mostsuccessful extension educationundertakings in Sea Grant history. Morethan 20,000 people have completedHACCP (pronounced HASS-ip) courses,including all federal FDA seafoodinspectors in the nation, most state-based inspectors and over 90 percent ofall nationally based seafood processingfirms, plus another 5,000 internationalparticipants from 30 nations.

HACCP, which stands for HazardAnalysis and Critical Control Point,describes a series of food-preparation

procedures that promote the safe and sanitary processingand importing of seafood. Federal regulations require allU.S. seafood importers and processors to implement aHACCP system.

To help the industry comply, the National Sea GrantProgram, federal agencies, trade associations, universityresearchers, and extension services formed the NationalSeafood HACCP Alliance in 1995 to develop a training andtechnical assistance curriculum. The program wasorganized by and continues to be coordinated by FloridaSea Grant seafood safety specialist Steve Otwell, aprofessor of food science and nutrition at the University ofFlorida.

The training now includes the traditional 3-day HACCPcourses, 1 1/2-day sanitation courses taught biannuallyin Florida, and a special one-day support course taught forindividuals that complete an established Internet coursedeveloped by Alliance members at Cornell University. TheAlliance publications used for this training are based atand distributed from the University of Florida,coordinated by the Florida Sea Grant program. Thesetraining materials are the most successful and demandedof Sea Grant publications.

Seafood HACCP training remains the national programfor seafood processing and importing in the U.S. and hasbecome a world standard for food safety. Recently, theprotocol was adopted by U.S. processors of juice products.

The HACCP program has also received presidentialrecognition, including the Al Gore Hammer Award in2000 for excellence in service to America. Otwell’sleadership of the HACCP Alliance — and a consequence ofthe program’s success — is his recognition by the Instituteof Food Technologies in 2004 as the first recipient of theMyron Solberg Award for providing leadership and thesuccessful development and continuation of an industry/government/academia cooperative organization.

The annual ShrimpSchool at the Universityof Florida, part ofnational seafood HACCPtraining, helps industrycomply with safeseafood regulations.Seminars use lecturesand hands-on labs tocover topics on productquality and safety, fromproduction throughretail. Over the pasteight years,participation in thisworld-renownedprogram has includedrepresentatives fromevery major shrimpcompany in the world.The programincorporates currentand relevant materialtailored to a commercialaudience. (Florida SeaGrant)

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Scientific andProfessionalEducationScientific and professional education is critical to conveying scientificdiscoveries to others as soon as possible. This educational process allowsthe new information to be implemented in academia, in industry andthrough the regulatory process. It saves time and money and preventsother scientists from “reinventing the wheel.” It is also important forscientists and other professionals to continuously retrain themselves tomake sure their own talents and programs remain current. Florida SeaGrant efforts in this area range from funded research faculty makingscientific presentations at statewide, regional or international conferences,to a workshop for county-based artificial reef program managers wherethey learn the latest monitoring techniques to evaluate their reefs, to in-service training programs for the Sea Grant Extension faculty to learn aboutintegrated ocean observing systems, a new program area for them overthe next decade.

Since the 1970s, Florida Sea Grant’s extension program has advised anglers, divers, governmentplanners and resource managers on responsible practices for artificial reef planning, buildingand monitoring. Sea Grant research conducted on artificial reefs since the 1980s has providedscientific understanding of reef ecology and engineering, in order to improve the reefdeployment, design and evaluation process. (Rob Bronson, Jacksonville Reef Research Team)

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ResearchPresentations

Researchers and extension facultyroutinely contribute to the educationalarena as presenters at professionalmeetings, conferences and workshops. Atthe same time, researchers funded inwhole or in part by Florida Sea Grantpublish their findings through researchjournals, departmental or universityproductions and through Sea Grantpublications. Sea Grant faculty areroutinely sought out by the media fortheir expertise in coastal and marineissues. These efforts combine to helpensure that science-based knowledgebecomes public information.

Including journal articles, reports,brochures, posters, and videos and thelike, Florida Sea Grant generated morethan 475 productions from 2000-04 toprovide science-based, educationalinformation resulting from Sea Grant’sresearch and extension program goalareas.

TOP: Florida Sea Grant associate directorWilliam Seaman fields questions from amedia crew covering an artificial reefworkshop. As interest by sport fishermenand divers continues to grow in artificialreefs, Florida Sea Grant supports thetransfer of technical information amongresource managers, researchers, andothers that study and evaluate reefperformance. (Florida Sea Grant)

BOTTOM: Sea Grant researchers whomake presentations at professionalconferences and workshops help ensurethat information is transferred in a timelyfashion, so that research results can beimplemented in academia, industry, andthrough the regulatory process. Above,William Kem of the University of Floridaand Carolina Moller of Florida AtlanticUniversity discuss findings at a BioFloridaconference. (Florida Sea Grant)

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Artificial ReefsArtificial reefs can enhance recreational fishing, create dive

sites, and mitigate damage to ocean habitat. Florida’s coastalwaters are estimated to contain about half of all artificial reefsdeployed in the U.S., and their popularity with a diverse set ofstakeholders has made this a priority topic for Florida Sea Grantresearch and outreach efforts. Technical results from more than adozen research projects have been transferred to select fishery andhabitat resource managers through regional fisheriesmanagement councils; synthesis of this research and otherinformation, coupled with a proactive educational effort, has hadan impact on artificial reef technology globally.

After inaugurating a periodic statewide summit of reef users,managers and scientists in 1987, Sea Grant turned over leadresponsibility for subsequent meetings to the (agency now knownas the) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Thesesummits provide up-to-date technical training on how to moreeffectively plan, construct and monitor artificial reefs. In 2001and 2004, Sea Grant coordinated these summits and contributedpresentations. In addition, Sea Grant published the results of itssurvey of artificial reef monitoring efforts in Florida counties tohelp educate county staff in methods of documenting reefperformance. As a follow-up to the latest meeting, Sea Grant madeplans to organize a short course on Geographic InformationSystems applications to Florida county artificial reef programs.

In the national and international setting, Florida Sea Grantassociate director William Seaman has delivered reef evaluationresearch to an American Fisheries Society continuing educationworkshop; reef planning conferences in Korea and Canada, and the2004 World Fisheries Congress. Seaman has also edited acomprehensive guide to artificial reef evaluation topics written byan international team of experts; the book is recognized as the firstvolume to combine such essential disciplines as engineering,economics, biology, and statistics for proper evaluation of reefperformance.

Through a Florida Sea Grant coastal environmental and water qualitydesign team that involved faculty from four universities, twopublications were produced to support educational efforts in subjectsidentified by field personnel as needed. The first, Nutrients andFlorida’s Coastal Waters, examines the links between people, increasednutrients and changes to coastal aquatic systems. The companionpiece, Submarine Groundwater Discharge, addresses groundwaterbasics, provides Florida examples of the influence of groundwaterdischarge on water quality, and the complexity of water management.(Florida Sea Grant)

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International FisheriesInformation Exchange

Sea Grant extension faculty provide coordination forthe exchange of information among scientists and fisheriesmanagers at the international level. LeRoy Creswell, SeaGrant extension agent in St. Lucie County, has recentlyserved as the chair of the steering and program committeefor the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI),founded in 1947 to promote the exchange of currentinformation on the use and management of marineresources in the Gulf and Caribbean region.

GCFI provides scientific, governmental, andcommercial sectors — groups which often operate inrelative isolation from one another — with theopportunity to exchange perspectives on current fisheriesissues. The GCFI has provided a dialogue that has enabledNOAA fisheries scientists, for instance, to discussmanagement of tropical and subtropical species commonto this region. The 2002 GCFI, held in Xel-ha, Mexico,attracted more than 140 oral and poster presentations.Creswell edited and distributed the proceedings of thatmeeting to 200 members, 82 libraries and threeinternational scientific databases.

Don Sweat, marine extension agent for five southwestcoastal counties, and Norman Blake, Florida Sea Grantcampus coordinator at the University of North Florida, co-chaired the 14th International Pectinid Workshop, aconference dedicated to the sharing of research on thescallop species of the world, particularly those ofcommercial importance. It gave more than 120researchers, resource managers, aquaculturists,conservationists, fishermen, and economists from 26countries the opportunity to network and discuss a specieswhose demand is rapidly expanding while natural stocksdwindle.

Newell Seminar SeriesOne of the most effective means available to Sea Grant

for advancing professional education across Florida hasbeen through sponsorship of visits and seminars byrenowned marine scholars. The Elise B. Newell SeminarSeries annually enables five or six experts in coastal andocean disciplines to visit one or more campuses over abouta three-day period, mentor students, and developcollaborations with Florida faculty. The series, named forFlorida Sea Grant’s long-time fiscal officer, who herselfwas a valued mentor, has funded visits from faculty atinstitutions such as the Institute of Marine and Coastal

The 14th InternationalPectinid Workshop wascoordinated by FloridaSea Grant extensionfaculty. The workshopwas held in 2003 in St.Petersburg, the firsttime the conferencehas been held in theU.S. in a number ofyears. (UF/IFAS)

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Sciences of Rutgers, Oregon State University,Tufts University, and Virginia Institute ofMarine Sciences. Topics ranged fromgenomics to ecolabeling, endocrinedisruptors, aquaculture, fisheries policy andharmful algal blooms.

Natural Resources LeadershipFlorida Sea Grant has capitalized on the University of

Florida’s Natural Resources Leadership Institute, aprogram that helps rising leaders develop skills that buildconsensus around contentious environmental issues andmove beyond conflict to find resolution. Five extensionfaculty have graduated. Over the course of a year, theyparticipated in seven three-day sessions and completed acourse practicum.

Participants of the Institute become familiar withnatural resource policy and prepare to play a role inshaping it. Program sessions include: skill building innatural resources leadership, communication and conflictresolution; understanding natural resources issues andhow decisions concerning them are made; exploring real-life examples through field trips to natural resource areasin Florida; and, applying knowledge to current naturalresource issues or problems.

The 2005 Florida Natural Resources LeadershipInstitute has an emphasis on the impact of coastaldevelopment on the state’s salt and freshwater resources.

Florida Sea Grantgraduates of the FloridaNatural ResourcesLeadership Instituteinclude (above, left)Broward County marineagent Dianne Behringer,shown attending a CleanMarina designationceremony with CleanMarina representativePaul Thompson, andMiami-Dade Countymarine agent MarellaCrane (right), whosepracticum focused on acalendar posterfeaturing art from theBiscayne Bay area.(Florida Sea Grant)

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The annual Florida Sea Grantextension faculty meetingprovides staff with the updateson topics in coastal issues theyneed to effectively planprogramming for the coming year.Scientists and agency personnelalso attend. Recently,representatives from NOAAFisheries and the Florida Museumof Natural History providedpresentations on fisherymanagement and shark issues.Program leaders from Sea Grantprograms in the Gulf of Mexicoregion provided a discussion onmercury in fish and its potentialimpacts. Researchers from theUniversity of South Floridadiscussed ocean observationsystems and potentialeducational activities. Thisannual meeting is designed toallow Florida Sea Grant extensionstate and county faculty time todiscuss and develop annual plansof work at both the state andcounty level. (Florida Sea Grant)

ProfessionalDevelopment

In order to effectivelytransfer technology and thelatest scientific information tomarine and coastal users,Florida Sea Grant extensionfaculty receive annual, ongoingtraining in delivery skills andtechnical content. Sea Grantactively supports professionaltraining and development —each county faculty memberreceives, on average, at least 15days of professionaldevelopment training. Deliverytechniques may cover dealing

with conflict, project design, programevaluation, management and development, andleadership and communication. Typical in-service training may cover current topics infisheries conservation, marine education, oceanobservation systems, invasive species, coastalwater quality, Florida Everglades restoration,marine aquaculture, seafood safety, rip currents,or waterway and boating management. SeaGrant faculty often take the leadership indeveloping these in-service training sessions.Examples include:

Sea Grant economist Chuck Adams hasdeveloped an annual workshop on sustainablemarine fisheries that addresses a variety ofnational and state management andconservation issues for county extensionfaculty. The workshops lead to thedevelopment of county plans of work thatemphasize fishery issues.Sea Grant estuarine ecologist Chuck Jacobyhas coordinated a series of workshops focusingon contemporary watershed issues during2002-2004. University of Florida/IFASExtension state and county faculty, includingSea Grant faculty, attended theseinterdisciplinary workshops.Many of Sea Grant’s county faculty havecompleted Florida Master Naturalist ProgramWorkshops, and become certified in both thewetlands and coastal modules. Some of thesefaculty have gone on to develop MasterNaturalist Programs in their respectivecounties.

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Agency and OrganizationEducationFlorida has a large number of local, state and federal agencies that focus onthe coast. In fact, with half of the counties in Florida on the coast, evencounty commissions get heavily involved in debating issues relating to thecoast. Federal agencies such as NOAA Fisheries and two federal fisherymanagement councils that cover the state, the state’s Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission and regional (within Florida) organizations such asthe West Coast Inland Navigation District are regular partners with FloridaSea Grant to conduct educational programs or receive the latest scientificinformation.

Florida Sea Grantprovides the agenciesthat have jurisdictionover coastal resourceswith up-to-dateinformation through avariety of channels,including direct inputto scientists at theseorganizations based onthe latest findings (evenbefore they arepublished); service oncommittees of thefederal fisherymanagement councils;testimony to legislativesubcommittees; orpresentations to countycommissions. (FloridaSea Grant)

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Marine economistChuck Adams (above)and Monroe Countymarine extension agentDoug Gregory are SeaGrant extension facultythat serve on thescientific and statisticalcommittees of both theGulf and South Atlanticfisheries managementcouncils. Adams chairs atechnical task force forthe Gulf States MarineFisheries Commission,which is currentlydeveloping a fisheryprofile and draftmanagement plan toguide the recreationaland commercial harvestof sheepshead in theGulf of Mexico. Gregoryalso serves on a jointcouncil coastal pelagicsstock assessment panel,and is often asked toserve on teams toreview stockassessments in otherfisheries the councilsmanage. (Florida SeaGrant)

Providing Science to ManagementFlorida Sea Grant researchers and extension faculty provide

yeoman’s service to fisheries management agencies, oftendelivering research results before they appear in scientificjournals. During 2000-02, 10 members of Sea Grant’s fundedresearch or extension faculty were serving on a scientific advisorycommittee of either the Gulf of Mexico or South Atlantic fisherymanagement councils. Sea Grant input was directly responsible forestablishing the parameters that led to a conclusion that theyellowtail snapper fishery was healthy and not overfished, whichhad been the contention of outside reviewers. Sea Grantresearchers serving on council committees at that time includedDeb Murie, Bill Lindberg and George Burgess from the Universityof Florida; Wally Milon of the University of Central Florida;Felicia Coleman and Chris Koenig of Florida State University;Nelson Ehrhardt of the University of Miami; and Mark Butler ofOld Dominion University.

Assisting NOAA and the NationAlthough resource managers and scientists have become

increasingly alarmed by the overfishing of shark populations inthe northwest Atlantic,NOAA’s Office of LawEnforcement haslacked effective tools toenforce protectivemeasures. A team ofresearchers led byMahmood Shivji,associate professor atNova SoutheasternUniversity anddirector of the GuyHarvey ResearchInstitute, hasdeveloped a method ofDNA analysis of sharkparts that puts teeth inNOAA’s efforts toidentify and prosecuteU.S. fishing vesselssuspected of catchingand selling protectedshark species.

In one recent period,Shivji’s group helpedfederal prosecutorsconfirm the presence of

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prohibited species in four of fiveinvestigations, resulting in fines ofmore than $100,000. In one case, afish dealer suspected of selling white shark filets was exoneratedwhen the analysis showed the products were obtained from legalspecies. The team’s research has received extensive internationalmedia coverage in Science; Nature; the New York Times; NationalGeographic Today; New Zealand radio; NBC TV’s “EcoWatch”program and AAAS radio, among others. Thus, Florida Sea Grant-supported science has led not only to direct application, but hasgone a long way in educating the public about the seriousness andneed for fisheries management.

Clean Marinas and Clean BoatyardsThere are nearly 2,000 marinas operating in Florida today and

hundreds of thousands of boaters using Florida’s waters every day,all contributing to constant and growing pressure on the state’sfragile aquatic and marine ecosystems. Clean water is essential tothe multi-billion dollar boating industry.

Florida Sea Grant has responded by partnering with the FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection, Marine IndustriesAssociation of Florida, U.S. Coast Guard, and International MarinaInstitute to form the Clean Boating Partnership, the original cleanmarina program in the nation. The partnership’s goal ispreventing pollution in Florida’s waterways by providingincentives to marinas, boatyards and related facilities that adoptenvironmental best management practices.

The partnership approach motivates public and private entitiesto work together and removes bureaucratic roadblocks to wiseresource stewardship. Florida Sea Grant has contributed to thepartnership by writing curriculum for workshops on cleanmarinas and boatyards, giving presentations in workshops, and

A rapid and reliable DNAtest developed by teamof scientists led byMahmood Shivji of NovaSoutheastern University(left) can identify sharkspecies from fins andother body parts, whichin turn helps fisheriesmanagers enforceprotective measures foroverfished sharkpopulations. Shivji’swork has fostered closecooperation betweenSea Grant fundedresearch and NOAAFisheries. (NOAAFisheries)

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training trainers. In addition, Sea Grantcounty extension faculty serve asmembers of check-up teams that verifya facility’s progress on its plan for CleanMarina designation. Since the start ofthe program, more than 150 of Florida’smarinas and boatyards have earnedcertification. Ten other states are nowinvolved in clean marina programs andsix more are contemplating startup.Most of these programs have usedelements of the Florida Clean Marinamodel.

Waterways andBoating Management

Coastal communities face a daunting yet critical challenge: howto balance the phenomenal growth of the recreational boatingpopulation while maintaining and restoring fragile naturalenvironments. To help manage the challenge, Florida Sea Granthas been providing local decision makers with innovative researchthat forms the basis of new management policies and programs.

A team of Sea Grant extension specialists led by Robert Swettand coastal planners Charles Sidman and David Fann hasintroduced government planners and resource managers insouthwest Florida to waterway planning based on analysis ofboaters’ activities coupled with data generated from sophisticatedGeographic Information System technology.

The Sea Grant team has worked with the West Coast InlandNavigation district, the Town of Bonita Bay, Collier County, theCity of Naples, the City of Marco Island, the Charlotte CountyMarine Advisory Committee, and environmental, boating, andcitizen associations of Manatee and Sarasota counties.

One resource manager praised the results of a Sea Grantinventory of his county’s local boating infrastructure because itenabled his office to objectively measure boating pressures on localwaterways, prioritize projects for dredging and signage, and moreefficiently obtain state and federal permits.

One of the program’s most significant results to date has beenlegislation enacted to improve the onerous dredging process. In2002, the Florida legislature authorized a pilot program in twoFlorida counties that allowed general waterway and canaldredging permits if the counties followed scientific guidelinesestablished in earlier Sea Grant research. The end result isenvironmentally friendly permitting at lower cost in less time.

With the West Coast Inland Navigation District, Sea Grantpublished the popular two-volume Historical Geography of

The Clean BoatingPartnership estimatesthat the Clean Marinaprogram has, in its fewshort years ofexistence, preventedover 600,000 pounds ofglass, 1.5 million poundsof paper, 3.7 millionpounds of aluminum, 5.6million gallons of oil, andmore than 1 milliongallons of antifreezefrom entering Florida’swaters. Florida SeaGrant, a foundingmember of thepartnership, produced aseries of six PSAs onclean boating practicesthat were widelydistributed to Floridatelevision stations andcable networks. (EricZamora, UF/IFAS)

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Florida Sea Grantcontinues to develop itswaterways and boatingmanagement programinto a nationallyrecognized effort. In2003, it was recognizedas the top Sea Grantextension program in thecountry, receiving theOutstanding ProgramAward from the Assemblyof Sea Grant ExtensionProgram Leaders.Accepting the awardfrom National Sea Grantdirector Ron Baird (right)are, from left, Florida SeaGrant’s extensionprogram leader MikeSpranger, director JimCato, and boatingspecialist Bob Swett.(Florida Sea Grant)

Southwest Florida Waterways to provide a historical perspective onthe development of Florida’s coastal communities. In 2003, bothvolumes were converted to CD format and placed online with theUniversity of South Florida’s Water Atlas Program.

Coastal Storms InitiativeFlorida Sea Grant conducted the outreach and extension

component of the NOAA Coastal Storms Initiative (CSI) Floridapilot project, located along the northeast coast of Florida within theSt. Johns River watershed. CSI initiatives unite the efforts of local,state, and federal organizations to help coastal communities planfor, respond to, and recover from coastal storms. Florida SeaGrant’s role was to support the nine research projects in the Floridapilot by developing an outreach and extension network andidentifying needed training and technical assistance so projectpartners could take full advantage of CSI information. Pilotcoordinator Don Jackson of Sea Grant organized a series of networkconstituent meetings that helped fully engage communities andprovide project leaders with community feedback.

Loss of waterway access is a critical concern to the boating public and boatingindustry in Florida, a state that has almost one million registered boats and alarge number of out-of-state boats that cruise Florida annually. Currently,water-dependent uses—boat repair and fueling facilities, marinas and boatingaccess ramps—are being replaced by non-water-dependent businesses such asrestaurants, and residential condominiums. Florida Sea Grant jointly sponsoredand coordinated a two-day “Public Access” workshop with the SouthwestFlorida Marine Industries Association to familiarize resource managers, marinaoperators, coastal property owners, boaters and developers with the issue ofloss of public access ramps and facilities. The workshop convened experts fromacross Florida and the United States; more than 100 individuals participated. Afollow-on workshop is planned for 2005. (Florida Sea Grant)

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Florida Sea Grant is afounding partner in theSoutheast AtlanticCoastal OceanObserving System,known as SEACOOS, anetwork which providesreliable information onthe coastal oceans forpeople who live andwork in the Southeast.Jay Law, a technician inthe University of SouthFlorida’s College ofMarine Science,performs maintenanceon an ocean monitoringbuoy deployed in theGulf of Mexico by theCoastal OceanMonitoring andPrediction System atUSF, also a SEACOOSpartner. (ChrisSimoniello, Florida SeaGrant)

SEACOOSWhy observe the oceans? A significant

proportion of our world’s population andeconomic activity depend on the sea, yet we havea limited understanding of the complexity andinterconnectivity of the ocean and marineecosystems. Learning more about the forces atwork could lead to improved marinetransportation and coastal storm preparedness;reduced public health problems associated withcontaminated seafood, rip currents and harmfulalgal blooms; and, enhanced efforts to protectocean habitats and endangered species.

SEACOOS, the Southeast Atlantic CoastalOcean Observing System, is a collaborativeuniversity partnership funded through the Officeof Naval Research that has initiated anintegrated coastal ocean observing system for afour-state region of the southeast U.S. Data frombuoys, remote sensors, and other fieldinstruments that measure wind, tides andcurrents will be compiled and transformed into avariety of products useful to coastal communitiesand marine user groups.

Careful crafting of these products is anessential part of SEACOOS. Florida Sea Grant and cooperatingextension programs from Georgia, South Carolina and NorthCarolina have taken the lead in creating an outreach andeducation work group to coordinate this activity. Their goal is toprovide information products according to the needs of key users.County extension faculty conduct needs assessments with theirclientele to determine how the application of real-timeobservational systems can benefit their daily activities. In 2004,Florida Sea Grant co-sponsored a national ocean observationsystem workshop in South Carolina attended by over 60 educatorsto develop a plan for incorporating ocean observation data intonational and state educational standards.

Florida Sea Grant also employs a SEACOOS outreachcoordinator, Chris Simoniello, to deliver educational programsthat increase theawareness and potentialuse of SEACOOS productsand services, and todevelop educationalmaterials and products.Simoniello contributes tothe outreach andeducation portion of theSEACOOS web site (right).

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Formal K–12EducationThis area is one of two that target youth either directly or indirectly.Formal K-12 Education includes those programs that reach youth through astructured, graded, education system as the students move through theformal educational process from kindergarten to the completion of highschool. Florida Sea Grant faculty get involved through lectures in theclassroom, but more importantly, by working with teachers to upgrade theircurricula to include math or science components that also incorporatecoastal or marine issues. Examples of “teaching the teachers” includedirecting a coastal field trip as part of a classroom activity, providing in-service training (for which the teachers receive credit) and makingpresentations at educator conferences, including the Florida Marine ScienceEducator’s Association.

Providing K-12 educators with a greater capacity to understand and deliver high-quality teachingon the ocean sciences is the goal of Florida Sea Grant’s participation in a National ScienceFoundation initiative linking scientists and educators. At this workshop in Cedar Key, teachersparticipated in a variety of training activities on proper marine collecting techniques andidentification of common coastal marine life. (Tom Wright, UF/IFAS).

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The Centers for OceanScience EducationExcellence, or COSEE,initiative providesmiddle school scienceteachers withprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities duringsummer months. FloridaSea Grant participatesin the COSEE groupfocused on the Gulf ofMexico, one of anetwork of sevencenters across the U.S.(Tom Wright, UF/IFAS)

Center for Ocean ScienceEducation Excellence (COSEE)

Florida Sea Grant is collaborating with four other states(Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama) to strengthenocean sciences education with a focus on the Gulf ofMexico. The Centers for Ocean Science EducationExcellence, known by its acronym COSEE, is a NationalScience Foundation initiative that bridges the gapbetween research and education. Florida Sea Grant leadsimplementation of Gulf of Mexico COSEE programs inFlorida, which in turn is one of seven COSEE centersnationwide.

In 2003, both formal and nonformal COSEE programswere conducted. Over a three-month period (June-August) a one-week, field-based COSEE Teachers Institutewas held in Cedar Key and Gainesville, supplemented by atwo-month online program for the entire Gulf of Mexicoregion. Content of the institute focused on marinehabitats, processes and technologies. Topics covered by theonline program included harmful algal blooms, sharks,hypoxia, coral reefs, environmental stewardship andocean technology.

Also in 2003, a two-day COSEE Nonformal Educator’sWorkshop was held for Sea Grant and 4-H Extensionagents, aquarium educators, nature center educators andyouth volunteers. Nearly 90 participants engaged indiscussions that allowed researchers to gain a betterunderstanding of educational organizations, and providededucators with programs and material to enhance theirclassroom content and delivery.

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At the Cedar Key summer institutes held in 2003 and 2004, teachers partnered with a researchscientist and spent five days in the field, learning about global positioning systems (GPS), harmfulalgal blooms, coral reefs, marine technology, and coastal habitats. Participants supplementedtheir field work with online internet training. (Tom Wright, UF/IFAS)

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Supporting MarineEducation Professionals

Florida Sea Grant works closely with state and nationalmarine education professional associations, and is asupporting organization for the Florida Marine ScienceEducators Association (FMSEA). FMSEA membershipincludes both K-12 teachers and nonformal educators. Inaddition to providing fiscal support for the annualconferences, Florida Sea Grant faculty provide seminarsand workshops at the annual FMSEA conference, whichdraws more than 100 educators annually, and supportsmaller FMSEA workshops throughout the state.

Between 2002-2004, Florida Sea Grant was a majorsponsor and contributor to the 2004 National MarineEducators Association (NMEA) annual conference. Inaddition to fiscal support, Sea Grant’s assistant director forextension Mike Spranger served as a consultant to theconference’s program committee. The conference was heldin St. Petersburg, with more than 400 K-12 andnonformal educators attending from North America, theCaribbean, Hong Kong and Australia. Spranger alsoregularly attends the National Science Teacher’sAssociation’s annual conference, and participates in themarine education seminar track that is attended by over300 annually.

In recognition of itscontribution to theorganization of the 2004National MarineEducators Associationconference in St.Petersburg, Florida SeaGrant earned the rightto display “Mr. Pike,”the NMEA travelingtrophy, for the yearpreceding theconference. Florida SeaGrant extension facultyare pictured acceptingthe trophy during an in-service trainingworkshop. (Florida SeaGrant)

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theme team on marine and aquatic literacy which developed thenationally distributed 2004 report, “Marine and Aquatic ScienceLiteracy: Educating the 21st Century Workforce.” The reportcalled for making marine and education literacy a nationalpriority, both in terms of outreach and research activities.

In another national effort, Florida Sea Grant provided fundingsupport in 2003 for a NMEA report requested by the Research,Education, and Marine Operations working group of the UnitedStates Commission on Ocean Policy. The report, titled “The NMEAMembership Profile Data Analyses and Interpretation,” providedbaseline information and analysis on formal and nonformalmarine education activities for the commission, and was includedas an appendix to the commission’s final report, delivered to thePresident in October, 2004.

Promoting Knowledge ofInvasive Species

Aquatic invasive species, which have affected all of the U.S.coast, may constitute the largest single threat to our coastalecosystem, our coastal economy, and human health in the coastalregion. Working with groups such as the Florida Aquarium and theTampa Bay Estuary Program, Florida Sea Grant is part ofSERANSE, the Southeast Regional Aquatic Nuisance SpeciesEducation and Outreach Network. The network involves educatorsfrom three states — Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — anddevelops programs and materials for both formal and nonformaleducational audiences. For the school systems, programs areoffered as in-service training for elementary, middle and highschool teachers. Similarly, programs are tailored for agencymanagers, university researchers, extension specialists andagents, and an array of nonformal marine science educators.

Within the state, Florida Sea Grant has offered more than 20programs and workshops in the last three years. Participantsincluded coastal community leaders, agency managers, universityresearchers, extension faculty, youth educators, programassistants and camp staff. These one- and two-day sessionsconsidered the status of Florida marine invasive species,familiarized participants with available resources to use in theireducational efforts, and provided participants with educationalprogramming and source materials on invasive species. In asuccession of specialized in-service opportunities for elementary,middle and high school teachers, participants received training toqualify for Florida’s marine educator’s marine collection permit.

Florida Sea Grant is wellsuited to address theproblem of invasivespecies because itprovides the necessarybreadth of scope inresearch, educationand outreach. In recentyears, Sea Grant hasproduced a “Primer onInvasive Species inCoastal and MarineWaters,” fact sheets,“diver alert” cards andother materialsdesigned to supporttraining programs for K-12 and nonformaleducators. (Florida SeaGrant)

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Recognition forEducational Excellence

Florida Sea Grant’s ongoing commitment to enhancingocean sciences education has earned recognition from theCouncil for Sustainable Florida, a governor’s levelcollaboration of business and citizen leaders committed toconserving Florida’s natural and economic resources. In2003, Florida Sea Grant received the top award for bestpractices in the university category in the SustainableFlorida competition, an annual awards program thatrecognizes organizations, businesses and universitieswhich have demonstrated a commitment to Florida’s long-term prosperity and overall environmental health.

The Florida Sea Grant Program was selected for itsability to solve critical coastal and marine problems aswell as produce new scientists, ocean policy experts andindustry leaders who will be responsible for continuingthe preservation of Florida’s coastal resources. It is thesecond Sustainable Florida award for Florida Sea Grant. In2000, Florida Sea Grant won a Leadership Award for itsprogram of recreational boating research and education,an effort to improve boaters’ access to Florida’s waterswhile reducing the detrimental impacts of boating on themarine environment.

Florida Sea Grantextension and researchfaculty accepted theSustainable FloridaAward during astatewide awardsceremony in BocaRaton. Pictured left toright are: Mary LouRajchel, president,Council for SustainableFlorida; Jim Cato,director, Florida SeaGrant; Dianne Behringer,marine extensionfaculty, BrowardCounty; Russ Kerr, SeaGrant researcher andcampus coordinator atFlorida AtlanticUniversity; and SharonCooper, executivedirector, Council forSustainable Florida.(Florida Sea Grant)

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YouthEducationFlorida Sea Grant’s youth education programs might be defined bysome as “informal” education; that is, education that it is notdiploma oriented, nor does it lead to a degree. In most cases, SeaGrant youth education is operating within some sort of educationalsystem, and is both an important part of some broader activity andintended to serve identifiable learning objectives. More often thannot, these efforts include a pre- and post-test to measure theamount of learning that was achieved. Some examples of the waythat Sea Grant teaches youth are through organized 4-H programssuch as marine science camps and a statewide marine ecologycontest, participation in the Florida Science and Engineering Fair asjudges and through organized field trips to plant sea oats to restoreand stabilize coastal dunes.

Dozens of Florida’s youngsters spend summer months learning about their coast in enrichmentprograms organized through one of Florida Sea Grant’s extension faculty. Above, a groupexamines the marine organisms caught in a seine net during a field trip led by St. Lucie Countyagent LeRoy Creswell along the shores of the Indian River. (Tom Wright, UF/IFAS)

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Coastal CountiesInvolve Thousands of Youth

At any given moment, Florida Sea Grant’s countyextension faculty may be running beach and coastalcleanups, marine youth camps, or interactive exhibits atschools, fairs and special events. These programs involvethousands of youngsters in hands-on activities that helpfoster an appreciation for the coastal environment. OftenSea Grant faculty work through organizations such as4-H, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, or serve as the localliaison for a nationwide or statewide effort, or organizetheir own long-standing event that has become acommunity tradition.

Monofilament recycling and beach clean-ups — Many ofFlorida Sea Grant’s marine agents serve as localcoordinators for beach stewardship programs in theirareas. The state’s monofilament recycling effort hasproven to be especially popular with youth. In BrevardCounty, 80 students from one local high schoolconstructed approximately 100 monofilament collectionbins, then distributed them to Clean Marinas around thestate.

Scott Jackson, Sea Grant agent for Okaloosa and Waltoncounties helped his local 4-H teen council initiate amonofilament recycling program for the surroundingcommunities. The group raised funds and then set upinformation displays and recycling bins throughout thecounty. They also built and set up bins at the local 4-Hcoastal youth camp, and conducted a beach cleanup.

To the south, more than 40 Boy Scouts and theirparents in Miami-Dade county volunteered with the SeaGrant agent, Marella Crane, to build, install andmaintain monofilament recycling bins. Two in the groupreceived Eagle Scout badges for their role; in all, morethan 20 bins were installed at county and state parks,marinas, and fishing piers.

Maia McGuire, the northeast Florida Sea Grant agent,held a poster contest to raise awareness of monofilamentrecycling. Winning posters were displayed at the GreaterJacksonville Agricultural Fair, and featured in a 2004recycling calendar.

Teaching recreational fishing — Don Sweat, thesouthwest central marine extension agent, has organizedthe annual St. Petersburg Pier Aquarium Kid’s FishingTournament for more than 16 years. The tournamentattracts some 500 to 600 youth under 12. Trophies, lunchand drinks are provided through sponsorships of morethan $9,000. In one tournament, the kids caught 23species of fish from the pier.

Extension faculty teachmarine education byinvolving thousands ofFlorida’s youth in hands-on beach stewardshipactivities. Above, MaiaMcGuire demonstratesproper sea oat plantingtechniques at arestoration area alongone of northeastFlorida’s coastalstretches. ScottJackson involved dozensof high schoolers at asea oat planting eventalong Fort Walton Beachin the Panhandle.(Florida Sea Grant)

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Ocean Day postercontest winner JessicaNederlanden’senthusiasm was sharedby her Representative,Adam Hasner (BrowardCounty) following theawards ceremony at theCapitol. (Florida SeaGrant)

The Lee County Sea Grant extension agent, Bob Wasno, hasconstructed an educational two-panel kiosk depicting fundamentalfishing techniques at the Yankee Beach Fishing Pier to teachchildren about species of fish that may be caught in that area,typical baits and lures that are successful for their targetedspecies, and fundamental knots and landing techniques thatminimize fish injury. He also holds a sport fishing camp for 4-Hyouth to teach casting, tackle crafting, local pond biology, fishcleaning and equipment maintenance.

Oceans Day in the CapitolKids stole the show when winners of a Florida Sea Grant-

sponsored poster contest converged on Tallahassee as part of the2003 observance of Oceans Day in the state capitol. Florida 4-Hmembers shared their artistic impressions of why it’s importantto protect coastal habitat by submitting colorful drawings ofocean-related subjects. Winners selected from among more than80 contestants earned a trip to Tallahassee to meet their statelegislator. One legislator escorted the group on a tour of theCapitol House Chambers. The winning entries were publishedand distributed by Florida Sea Grant as an Oceans Day 2003commemorative poster.

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Resource RangersSea Grant agents Andrew Diller and Chris Verlinde assist in

writing, providing technical advice, and appearing in the award-winning Resource Rangers television show that airs on WUWF-TVCox Channel 4 in Escambia County and on MediaCom Channel 27 inSanta Rosa County. Episode topics include watersheds, storm waterpollution, seagrasses, and the water cycle. Resource Rangers is acurriculum-based program that includes classroom activities, fieldtrips and a series of videos focusing on environmental education forgrades 5-8 and their families. Diller and Verlinde have also teamedto conduct 4-H and youth educational events under the ResourceRangers program for five elementary schools in their region.Approximately 300 children learned about sea turtles, marinedebris, and coastal dune and aquatic ecosystems.

Marine Science Camps,Competitions

Sea Grant’s Florida Panhandle marine agents – Diller, Verlinde,Jackson, and Bill Mahan — routinely provide youth education inmarine concepts and issues at Camp Timpoochee, a 4-H centerwhere an annual state marine camp, and county marine campprograms are offered. The program gives campers first-handexperience with Florida’s marine environment, learningidentification of marine vertebrates and invertebrates, plants andhabitat. About 20 kids a week choose the marine science campadventure as part of their summer experience.

The northeast marine extension agent, Maia McGuire, has helpedrevise and provide materials for the 4-H Marine Ecology JudgingEvent, an annual statewide competition that gives 4-H members anopportunity to learn about the marine and aquatic world. Kids candemonstrate their skills in identification of marine vertebrates andinvertebrates, plants, and coastal habitats. McGuire and BrevardCounty marine agent Chris Combs have also provided specimens forand helped run the competition, held each fall at Camp Ocala.

Seine nets and touchtanks provide a never-ending source offascination as youthdiscover what livesbeneath the surface ofcoastal waters. SeaGrant extension facultyprovide essentialprogramming andcurriculum support forstate marine camps, 4-Hfield trips, and thestate’s marine ecologycompetitions. (FloridaSea Grant; Tom Wright,UF/IFAS)

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Florida Sea Grant Online:www.flseagrant.org

Through its website, Florida Sea Grant gives those who manage, use and enjoy the coastimmediate access to current research and timely publications on coastal issues consideredmost critical to the state’s future. Most of the site’s publications are readily available in full-text format and free to download. A popular item is the online directory of the state’s marineeducation and research organizations.

You can also link to the National Sea Grant library, which give visitors access to theentire Florida Sea Grant collection, plus thousands of publications from the 31 other SeaGrant programs. In fact, the National Sea Grant Library reported for 2003 and 2004 — thefirst two years that a comprehensive report was compiled — that Florida Sea Grant rankedfirst among the top 10 (in funding) Sea Grant programs in both total documents submitted,and in electronic downloads by users.

What’s more, Florida Sea Grant was tops by a notable margin. Of the 422,577 downloads,183,659, or 43 percent, were for Florida Sea Grant documents.

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Keeping track of college students is not easy; trying to track them downafter graduation is harder still. An Investment in Florida’s Future: SeaGrant Sponsored Graduate Education does just that. First published byFlorida Sea Grant in 2002 (TP-117) and revised in 2004 (TP-140), thisreport traces the program’s investment in scholarships and fellowships,and, more importantly, showcases the investment and contributions ofthe recipients in their commitment to research and their chosen careers.

It features degree information for students supported byFlorida Sea Grant, the Aylesworth Foundation for theAdvancement of Marine Sciences and the Old SaltFishing Club, 1986-2004. Included is a summary ofstudents’ last known occupations and locations, anddegree completed. It also tracks the Florida Sea GrantKnauss Fellows of the last 22 years by university,placement, current occupation, employer, and currentlocation.

For additional information on Florida Sea Grantsupport for graduate education, and to locate anonline version of this report, go to Florida SeaGrant’s website at www.flseagrant.org.

Science Serving Florida’s CoastPO Box 110400University of FloridaGainesville, Florida32611-0400(352) 392-5870www.FLSeaGrant.org

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