Greetings Members and Friends,

To all who are affected by Hurricane Ian, you are in our thoughts, and we are here to support you.

Ian's recent destruction in our coastal communities and across the state is a sobering reminder that we are more vulnerable as the oceans warm and sea levels rise. Never has our FOA mission to protect Florida's marine and coastal resources been more important, as our reefs, mangrove forests and coastal marshes provide important natural protection and serve to buffer our coastal communities from hurricane storm surges. These critical marine and coastal resources also serve to contain carbon, a key contributor to warming seas. They are vital to a sustainable future for our state.

In August, our FOA directors, members and partners gathered for our annual planning session at Mote Aquaculture Research Park. Among us were representatives of academia and research, business, Florida ports, NGOs and government - all leaders in ocean and coastal innovation, exploration and sustainable use. We were reminded that together we are a powerful resource and partner for businesses, governments and organizations that are engaged in initiatives to protect Florida's invaluable marine and coastal assets and support our vital blue economy.

On November 18, FOA will host an important meeting of our members, friends and supporters at Port Everglades. We hope you will join us for Florida’s Blue Economy – Building a Sustainable Future Leadership Meeting & Luncheon aboard Royal Caribbean Cruises's Liberty of the Seas. Please consider sponsoring the event and you will gain recognition as a key supporter of FOA and our initiatives to help ensure a sustainable future for our oceans, coasts and the blue economy.

We encourage you to share this issue of Florida Ocean News with your friends and colleagues and help us spread the word about our November 18 event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

A. Paul Anderson

President

FOA Annual Board Planning Session Recap

FOA’s annual Board of Directors Planning Meeting was hosted by Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium at the Mote Aquaculture Research Park in Sarasota on August 22. We had informative presentations by Dr. Mike Shirley of Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Gil McRae of Fish & Wildlife Research Institute, who also spoke on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Abbey Wakely, of Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) introduced the organization and suggested opportunities for partnership with FOA.

FOA directors discussed FOA’s organizational identity and purpose, and there was agreement that FOA’s continuing focus will be on our leading role in supporting a sustainable future for Florida's blue economy. This ongoing key initiative is an outgrowth of FOA’s Strategic Plan. An update and subsequent, second public release of the Plan was also discussed. The updated Plan will be used for public outreach and education, and it presents a unique opportunity to educate newly elected legislators and others on Florida Ocean Alliance and our Strategic Plan for building Florida's blue economy. 

Port Everglades was honored to serve as the host site for the official commissioning of the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, on July 30 in its namesake city, Fort Lauderdale, FL. It is the first U.S. Navy ship named for the City of Fort Lauderdale and the seventh U.S. Navy vessel to be commissioned at Port Everglades.

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Port Everglades hosted the official commissioning of the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship July 30 in Ft. Lauderdale.

 Autumn Batson, Florida Development Officer,

Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute

She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as Sponsorship Co-Chair for the Shepherd Center Junior Committee and as a volunteer for the Georgia Aquarium. She resides in Indian Harbour Beach with her dog, Langston, and enjoys scuba diving and underwater photography.

Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., FOA Director and Executive Director, FAU Harbor Branch assumes additional leadership role with FIO.

A long-lasting, intense algal bloom turned much of the Banana River green during the summer of 2020. Photo by Dylan Hansen, Balance for Earth

“Our goal is to use that biochar to remove toxins from different harmful algal blooms like red tide, pyrodinium, and blue-green algae” Reza said. “So far, the result has been amazing.” It has been an eye-opening experience for students, Reza added.

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The first annual Future of Water Summit held in Miami Beach Aug. 8-10 brought together hundreds of water influencers and leaders to develop a unified vision for collaborative water governance that will help ensure a secure, just, and affordable water future for all. Focused on the mission of holistically managing all surface, ground, recycled and storm water, the Summit convened local, state, and federal partners, non-governmental agencies, service and technology providers, and members of the academic community to leverage existing efforts and jointly formulate a “call-to-action” for a more sustainable, resilient society. Read more

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, center, with the County’s first-ever Artist-In-Residence Xavier Cortada, right, who focuses much of his work on environmental issues. One Water Strategy Director Hardeep Anand is at left.

By Michael Rubin, President & CEO, Florida Ports Council

For more than a year, Americans have had a front-row seat to the supply chain crisis that has disrupted not only the flow of goods and commerce, but has laid bare this man-made crisis in the making. Images of cargo ships floating in a virtual parking lot off the West Coast, combined with a lack of federal investments, many experts contend, could be seen coming long before the pandemic. While this crisis in the making was left simmering for years before COVID-19, Florida was already hard at work strengthening our trade and logistics efforts to help ensure

Sunshine State seaports would be ready to compete on an international level. State investments in Florida’s ports helped ensure we would be prepared to capitalize on super-sized, post-Panamax ships.

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Michael Rubin, President & CEO,

Florida Ports Council

Above: Replanted seagrasses are spreading rapidly in the Indian River Lagoon and will serve as a vital food source for manatees (pictured right).

Donations were received from individuals and foundations in 49 states and 12 countries. The NextEra Energy Foundation and Florida Power and Light provided $125,000 for a new climate-controlled manatee rescue truck. Other large gifts funded the replanting of seagrasses throughout the Lagoon, beginning in ten areas with the best water quality. 60,000 eelgrass plants were planted this spring in the Loxahatchee River, a Lagoon tributary. Protected from too-early grazing via temporary fencing, these plants are spreading rapidly and by year two will serve once again as a vital food source for manatees. 

In all, more than 1,400 individuals, businesses, and foundations donated $2.2 million toward manatee feeding, rescue, rehabilitation, and habitat restoration. Read more

Port Tampa Bay is displaying a large mural made of recyclable materials, which was made by local students. Sulphur Springs students who took part in the Community Stepping Stones program created the piece, titled One Waterway One Tampa Bay. The artwork was hung on World Oceans Day in recognition of Port Tampa Bay's commitment to a sustainable and healthy bay. 

The mural will greet cruise passengers and guests in Cruise Terminal 6. The plastics and objects featured on the piece were collected from beach clean-ups held by Community Stepping Stones students and from community cleanups in the neighborhood of Sulphur Springs.

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Port Tampa Bay CEO Paul Anderson, center, with students and Community Stepping Stones staff beneath the mural.

Coastal birds, like terns, plovers, spoonbills, and herons, are struggling to survive in Florida, often because of intense disturbance by recreational boaters and beachgoers. Flushed from their camouflaged nests in the sand or in mangroves, adult birds watch helplessly as eggs and chicks are exposed to the hot sun and predators, or are crushed by unwary pedestrians, dogs, or drivers. Adult birds expend precious energy dive-bombing these human threats. 

Audubon recruits volunteers to assist with on-the-ground wildlife and habitat management. The benefits to wildlife are immediate and connect people with nature, which in turn are a gateway for volunteers to quickly become educated on regional conservation issues, stay engaged for longer tenures, and move from volunteerism to advocacy. At the same time, we work with agencies and lawmakers at the local, state, and federal level to conserve and protect our beaches.

We do more than monitor and protect the birds – Audubon actively improves and conserves habitat. In the Tampa Bay region, we have recently finished construction on more than a mile of living shoreline to protect the Richard T. Paul Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary, leased from and managed in collaboration with The Mosaic Company and Port Tampa Bay. The living shoreline breakwaters reduce wave energy before it reaches the shoreline of these islands, slowing and stopping erosion even in the face of climate change and rising seas.

Across the state, Audubon Florida protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches thousands of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action.

To learn more about Audubon Florida, attend our annual Assembly. Additional information can be found at fl.audubon.org/assembly. 

A Least Tern feeds its chick. These beach-nesting birds are vulnerable to disturbance from both beachgoers and boaters, and Audubon Florida works to protect them and the places they need. Photo: Kathy Cline/Audubon Photography Awards. 

Aerial view of the living shoreline at the Alafia Banks Bird Sanctuary. The living shoreline protects the islands from both wave energy and storm surges, stopping erosion and protecting critical bird nesting habitat. Photo by John Landon.

New Members

Andrew Walker, President,

Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida

Andrew Walker, President & CEO of The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida has joined FOA as a member. The Fish & Wildlife Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to protect our outstanding animals and plants and the lands and waters they need to survive. The Fish & Wildlife Foundation works closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and many other public and private partners. As Florida’s community foundation for conservation, the foundation is committed to helping donors support the causes they care most about. Through our many partnerships with conservation and education programs statewide, we’ve raised and donated more than $60 million since 1994.

SECOORA Provides Access to Ocean & Coastal Information for FL, GA, SC, NC

Information is key to making sound decisions about our coasts. Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) as part of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), works with partners around the region to identify needs, fill gaps, and provide ready access to ocean and coastal information for stakeholders in a format they can use. SECOORA operates in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the entire coast of Florida. 

Public Questions Marine Sanctuary's Restoration Blueprint

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary officials responded to a variety of questions related to proposals within the Restoration Blueprint during an Aug. 16 virtual question-and-answer session. An updated set of rules and regulations to counteract a decline in natural resources off the Florida Keys is currently in a 100-day public comment period that ends Oct. 26. 

Follow FOA on social media for more industry news and information.

Jerry Sansom

(FOA Secretary)

Organized Fishermen of Florida

Anne Birch

The Nature Conservancy

James Cantonis

Armaly Sponge Company

Josh Carroll

Royal Caribbean Group

Michael P. Crosby, Ph.D.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

David McDonald

McDonald, Miller & Coleman LLC

FOA Executive Committee

Autumn Batson

Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute

Florida Harbor Pilots Association

www.FloridaOceanAlliance.org