Greetings Members and Friends,

Happy New Year to all. 2023 promises to be a milestone year for protection of Florida's environment and water quality. Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Executive Order 23-06 (Achieving Even More Now for Florida's Environment), which directs strategic action with a focus on accountability, sound science, progress and collaboration and includes substantial investments for: Everglades restoration, protection of Indian River Lagoon and other water resources, coastal resilience, and coral reef restoration, making it the highest level of funding in Florida's history.

We invite all members and friends to join us for the 2023 Florida Oceans Day at the Capitol on March 22, 2023. You'll learn about some of the key issues and challenges facing ocean and coastal resources and communities around the state and have the opportunity to meet with legislators. More information will be available soon.

The past year ended on a high note for FOA with the successful Florida's Blue Economy Leadership Meeting, which not only provided the platform for sharing important new data and information about our blue economy, but achieved our fundraising goals. We could not have accomplished this without the generous contributions of our host and FOA member Royal Caribbean Cruises and all our sponsors and guests. Thank you to all who attended and supported us.

FOA is committed to building a more resilient and sustainable future for Florida, and we need your ideas and participation in our initiatives. If you're not a member, I invite you to consider membership in FOA. Please join us in supporting ocean and coastal conservation and responsible economic development for Florida’s Blue Economy. 

Sincerely,

A. Paul Anderson

President

Save the Date for Florida Oceans Day on March 22, 2023

Florida Ocean Alliance, together with partners Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and Florida Institute of Oceanography, will host the annual Florida Oceans Day at the Florida Capitol on March 22, 2023. The theme for the day, “Coastal Resilience: A Key to Florida’s Blue Economy and Future,” will bring attention to the critical challenges facing ocean and coastal resources and communities around the state as the effects of climate change impact our present and future. More information and a schedule of events will be available soon.



Keynote speaker Dr. Charles Colgan presented data and trends for the blue economy in the U.S. and Florida.

Speakers l-r: Dr. Pierre-Philippe Beaujean, FAU; Jim Murley, Miami-Dade County; Lori Baer, Port Everglades Assoc.; Anya Freeman, Kind Designs; Dr. Charles Colgan, Center for the Blue Economy; and Glenn Wiltshire, Port Everglades.

Guests enjoyed a luncheon hosted by Royal Caribbean, a silent auction and networking.

The Florida Ocean Alliance (FOA) responded to the request for information on the U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) from the NOAA Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), October 2022.

Read the Florida Ocean Alliance comments here.

The National Defense Authorization Act includes an ocean package, the Coast Guard bill, and several other defense related provisions. Ocean Conservancy played a major advocacy role in both the Coast Guard and ocean package provisions including coordinating the ocean community on a strategy to gain support from Congressional leadership, educating Hill offices on the value of these provisions, and connecting key ocean community members with direct congressional staff engagement for these key ocean provisions.  

Ocean Conservancy also led a letter to push for an ocean package that included the following bills: Regional Ocean Partnerships Act, Restoring Resilient Reefs Act; Bolstering Long-term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Ocean, Bays, and Estuaries (BLUE GLOBE) Act; National Ocean Exploration Act; Marine Mammal Research and Response Act; Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act; and the Learning Excellence and Good Examples from New Developers (LEGEND) Act, and the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act (this last bill ended up being included in the omnibus).

The following statement was issued by Jeff Watters, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of External Affairs and Florida Ocean Alliance board member, in response to President Biden signing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law: “Ocean Conservancy thanks President Biden and the U.S. Congress for recognizing that our ocean is a bipartisan priority for the future of all people and the planet. For more than a decade, Ocean Conservancy championed several provisions that were included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law after passing the 117th United States Congress. We celebrate the inclusion of better regional ocean coordination, enhanced protection for sharks, restoration of coral reefs, much-needed investments in ocean science and improved oil spill response." Read the full article here.



Alexis Meschelle, Executive Director, Organized Fishermen of Florida has joined FOA board. 

Gretchen Winters, Executive Director, Florida Harbor Pilots Assocation has joined FOA board.

William T. (“Bill”) Hogarth, 83, of Treasure Island, FL, passed away on November 5, 2022. Bill was a former head of Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), and during his tenure he was a FOA board member.

Bill spent much of his career serving and leading the National Marine Fisheries Service and when he retired from federal service in 2007, was acting Dean of USF College of Marine Science. He later served as head of the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), and interim Regional Chancellor for the USF St. Petersburg campus. Bill’s legacy is tremendous.  In honor of his service to University of South Florida, Florida Institute of Oceanography and the state, FIO named its new research vessel, commissioned in 2017, the R/V William T. Hogarth. Bill’s legacy will also continue in perpetuity at USF and the College of Marine Science through The William T. Hogarth Fellowship in Marine Mammals, awarded annually to an especially accomplished biological oceanography graduate student. Read more

Bill Hogarth and his namesake,

the R/V William T. Hogarth

Port Tampa Bay’s cruise season is officially underway. In December alone, 29 ships sailed from the port. This year, Tampa Bay will welcome more than an estimated 1.2 million cruise guests on 260 individual sailings. These visitors pour money into the region’s local economy, through hotel stays, and visiting restaurants, shops, and other area attractions.

According to a study by Business Research & Economic Advisors on cruise tourism, a 2,500-passenger cruise vessel with a 1,000-person crew has an economic impact on a homeport of approximately $330,000 per call. A broader study of the total economic impact of Port Tampa Bay’s cruise business shows the port’s cruise business brings an annual economic impact of approximately $627.8 million. Cruise business accounts for nearly 20 percent of the port’s revenue. “Cruising from Port Tampa Bay has never been better. Steps from cruise terminals are new hotel and dining options, breweries, and family-friendly attractions. Nearby beaches and an award-winning airport make Tampa an attractive destination in-and-of-itself. We are so proud of the relationship with our cruise partners, and we realize the importance of this industry on the economy of Tampa Bay and the entire region,” explained Port Tampa Bay President & CEO Paul Anderson. Read more

See the Port Tampa Bay Member Spotlight in this issue for more about Port Tampa Bay.

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) reports that tri-county marine businesses experienced tremendous growth over the past two years. The latest sales tax information from the Florida Department of Revenue (FDOR) is one consistent indicator of this growth. According to FDOR data, the Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach County region’s recreational boat related retail sales grew by 32% between 2021 and 2022. According to the agency, the region was responsible for $7.18 billion in sales during fiscal year 2022, compared to $5.43 billion in the prior fiscal year. Over the same period Florida statewide retail boat-related sales grew 49% from $12.5 billion in 2021 to $18.7 billion at the end of the most recent fiscal year.



How all of this relates to the industry’s economic impacts in the region is the subject of a study commissioned by MIASF, which is expected to be completed in January 2023.

Aerial view of the 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

Photo credit: MIASF

Above: Governor Ron DeSantis and Dr. Michael Crosby of MOTE Marine Laboratory open the new red tide mitigation testing facility at MOTE Aquaculture Research Park in Sarasota.

For over 50 years, Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has been a leader in marine science, with critical research in areas like ecosystem conservation, ocean and human health, sustainable aquaculture, engineering, and exploration. As a premier oceanographic center, the FAU Harbor Branch research community of over 300 scientists, engineers, staff, and students work together toward a goal of “Ocean Science for a Better World.” In addition to highly impactful research, the Institute is committed to broadly sharing information with the goal of inspiring, educating and training the next generation of professionals in STEM fields as well as members of the community so that they will support scientific endeavors and ocean stewardship.

This past November, eighteen FAU Harbor Branch graduate students had the opportunity to participate in a day at-sea aboard the Florida Institute of Oceanography’s (FIO) newest research vessel, the R/V W.T. Hogarth. When not at sea, R/V Hogarth is docked at its home port at the USF St. Petersburg bayfront campus. For the 2022-2023 science season, however, the vessel and its crew have been repositioning around the state to facilitate access for FIO consortium members. The November stop at FAU Harbor Branch gave students the opportunity to spend a day working and learning aboard a state-of-the art scientific research trawler. For many of the students, this was their first excursion on a scientific research vessel.

The day included environmental and biological sampling at three stations in coastal waters and within the Indian River Lagoon Estuary. At each site, students deployed a scientific trawl to collect fish from the seafloor, which they identified under the guidance of FAU Harbor Branch Assistant Professor Jim Masterson, Ph.D. They also collected water samples and profiled the physical properties of the water column. Lastly, they conducted plankton tows and undertook microscopic examination of various members of the zooplankton community. R/V Hogarth Captain Bryan Davis gave the students a tour of the wheelhouse and his crew provided tours of the engine room.

To learn more about research and education at FAU Harbor branch visit www.fau.edu/hboi.

“Just seeing the work deck filled with the next generation of scientists and engineers getting really excited about spending time on the water was incredible. The enthusiasm for what they’re doing and for the career paths they are on was on full display,” said FAU Harbor Branch Assistant Professor Jim Masterson, Ph.D.

Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest port, handling more than 33 million tons of cargo per year and is also Florida’s largest port in terms of physical size (and one of the largest in the country), encompassing over 5,000 acres. Port Tampa Bay supports nearly 85,000 jobs and generates more than $17 billion in annual economic impact. In addition to being a top 10 U.S. cruise port, the port handles a wide array of bulk, break bulk, containers and roll-on/roll-off cargoes and is a major shipbuilding and repair center.

Port Tampa Bay handles all major cargo categories, including:

• Liquid bulk (incl. petroleum, sulfur, ammonia, orange juice, etc.)
• Dry bulk (incl. fertilizer, limestone, granite, cement, coal, etc.)
• Break-bulk (Florida’s largest steel handling port with a cluster of related activities involving manufacturing, fabrication, processing and distribution with a focus on exports)
• Containers (imports and exports of food and beverage products, consumer goods such as furniture, lubricants, agricultural products, etc.)
• Automobiles (a target growth area for short sea given plant expansion in Mexico and Southeast US)
• Cruise (over 1 million passengers during non-pandemic years)
• Shipbuilding & Repair (while not core to cargo, one of the largest shipbuilding and repair ports in the southeast is seen as adding to the diversity and comprehensive, full-service status as a seaport)

Additionally, as one of the first ports in the nation to have a dedicated Environmental Department, Port Tampa Bay is deeply committed to environmental sustainability and natural resource protection. Each year with community partners, Port Tampa Bay hosts the Great Port Clean-up. The event involves hundreds of members of the maritime community and has won the American Association of Port Authorities’ Lighthouse Award of Excellence for Environmental Enhancement and serves as a model for seaports throughout the Western Hemisphere. The port is located on Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest open water estuary and an estuary of national significance, and takes its role in protecting the neighboring ecosystem seriously. Port tenants and staff demonstrate daily that nature and industry can co-exist, through protection of bird nesting islands and award-winning restoration projects.

Port Tampa Bay is a Top 10 U.S.

cruise port.

The port handles an array of bulk, break-bulk, containers, and roll-on/roll-off cargoes.

Port Tampa Bay demonstrates that nature and industry can co-exist through protection of bird nesting islands, and award-winning restoration projects.

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

Anne Birch

The Nature Conservancy

James Cantonis

Armaly Sponge Company

Josh Carroll

Royal Caribbean Group

Michael P. Crosby, Ph.D.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Jeff Eble

Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute

Kumar Mahadevan, Ph.D.

Founding Member,

Florida Ocean Alliance

FOA Director Emeritus

Alexis Meschelle

Organized Fishermen of Florida

David McDonald

McDonald, Miller & Coleman LLC

FOA Director Emeritus



Jerry Sansom

Florida Ocean Alliance

FOA Director Emeritus

Gretchen Winters

Florida Harbor Pilots Association

Lenore Alpert, Ph.D.

Executive Director

www.FloridaOceanAlliance.org

Florida Ocean News is published by the Florida Ocean Alliance, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, private-public partnership of private industry, trade, academic and environmental organizations promoting awareness and understanding of the ocean’s importance to the economy and environment of Florida.