A key priority of the Alliance in 2024 is the growth of our organization. We want to expand our membership this year by recruiting leaders from all sectors who share our passion for protecting Florida’s marine and coastal resources and building a sustainable blue economy. Our Membership Committee will meet soon, and you will hear more about a membership campaign and how you can be involved.

It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Holly Lynn Baumgartner, Dean of the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center at Nova Southeastern University, to our Board of Directors. Nova Southeastern is a long-time member of the Alliance, having been represented for many years by now Director Emeritus Dr. Dick Dodge. We look forward to Dr. Baumgartner’s involvement on the board.

In February, the Alliance hosted another well-attended Florida Oceans Day at the Florida Capitol, and I thank our partners Florida Institute of Oceanography and Mote Marine Laboratory for their efforts in making the two-day event a complete success. I also want to recognize State Representatives Chip LaMarca and Kelly Skidmore for their efforts to advance legislation on the Blue Economy, as well as our Board members who engaged with legislators to show their support. HB 1285, passed by the Legislature during the last week of Session and awaiting the Governor’s signature, would establish an Office of the Ocean Economy at Florida Atlantic University.

Preliminary planning is underway for our annual Leadership Meeting and fundraiser, which will take place in Fall 2024. You will receive more information soon as event details are confirmed. We hope you will plan to support the event this year with your attendance and sponsorship.



Sadly, we have lost a great leader, long-time member, and friend of the Florida Ocean Alliance. Jerry Sansom, former Director of Organized Fishermen of Florida, passed away on March 6, and we honor him in this newsletter.

Finally, we all wish our Communications Manager, Martha Lord, fair winds and calm seas as she moves on to new challenges. We will miss her spirit and enthusiasm towards our mission. We also welcome aboard Catherine Dietrick to our team to pick up where Martha left off.

Thank you for your continuing involvement and support of the Florida Ocean Alliance as we work collectively to advance our mission!

Sincerely,

Glenn A. Wiltshire

President

Dr. Holly Lynn Baumgartner is Dean of the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center at Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Baumgartner leads seven departments at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences: Marine and Environmental Sciences; Conflict Resolution Studies; Biological Sciences; Chemistry and Physics; Communication, Media, and the Arts; Humanities and Politics, and Mathematics. She crafted a new vision and 4-year strategic plan, successfully implementing 100 of 120 initiatives by year 3. She came to NSU in 2021 from Ohio Northern University where she was Dean of the Getty College and led five schools of 18 departments.

She has just been selected for a statewide speaker’s series, “Florida Talks,” with her work based on her recent entries in the book, Coming of Age in Florida on the topic of growing up in the unique South Florida environment and how it has changed over the decades. She also presents regularly on the Blue Economy in Florida. 

Dr. Baumgartner believes strongly in the importance of research in higher education, serving as a proposal reviewer for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and constructing a formal undergraduate research program for Halmos College. Likewise, she has written several successful grants and community project funding requests for coral reef restoration and research as well as for capacity building in marine research, including:



• PI. Community Project Award, NOAA, Reef Restoration & Preservation through a Coral Nursery Center, $960,000. 2024, Pending.
• PI. Community Project Award: Coastal Ecosystems Disease Etiology, Remediation, and Restoration for Community Ecological and Economic Health, $3,841,000. 2023.
• PI. United States Geological Survey. Florida Water Science Center. $4,830,034
• PI. National Science Foundation. Graduate Research Fellowship Program, $144,000

Dr. Baumgartner serves as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (since 2013) as part of the accreditation process. She presents, consults, teaches, and publishes internationally.

Florida Ocean Alliance, together with partners Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and Florida Institute of Oceanography, hosted the annual Florida Oceans Day at the Florida Capitol on February 6-7, 2024.

Florida Ocean Alliance President Glenn Wiltshire welcomed guests to the annual Oceans Day luncheon hosted by the Alliance Board of Directors and provided an update on the status of the proposed legislation that would establish a

State Office of the Blue Economy. He then introduced several guest speakers representing Florida agencies, who provided updates or news from their departments that was relevant to Florida marine and coastal issues and the Blue Economy.

The speakers included:

• Portia Sapp, Assistant Director-Division of Aquaculture at Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Roger Young, Executive Director, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 
• Alex Reed, Coastal Resilience Director, Department of Environmental Protection
• Mary Clare Futch, Legislative Director, Florida Commerce
• Laura Di Bella, Former President of Business Development, Florida Commerce

Concluding the meeting, Glenn cited four themes that he gathered from the speakers' comments - Growth, Opportunity, Challenges met by Resiliency, and Partnerships - all of which are significant to our members and organization.

A Big Thank You from Florida Institute of Oceanography

Thank you to everyone who exhibited and participated in Florida Oceans Day's FIO Fish Fry at the Florida Capitol South Plaza! With a special focus on Florida's Blue Economy, the event was nothing short of exhilarating, drawing in over 500 attendees. We hope you had ample opportunities to connect with legislative staff and the public, while indulging in the delicious fish, shrimp, and crabs. Your displays, information, engagement and support truly made the event a success. Until next year's gathering, let's continue to champion our oceans and sustain our vibrant Blue Economy together!



Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium Hosted the Annual Legislative Reception

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium staff and guests attended the 37th annual Oceans Day Legislative Reception at the Florida Historic Capitol Building. More than 12 Mote research and education staff were in attendance to continue to educate legislators and State agencies on the importance of healthy coasts and oceans to Florida’s economy, and to promote protection of ocean and coastal resources for all Floridians through Mote’s strategic research and STEM education initiatives.

Above: Florida Ocean Alliance annual Board of Directors luncheon at Oceans Day.

Above: Florida Institute of Oceanography staff at their member exhibition at the Florida Capitol. Photo courtesy of F.I.O.

Above: Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium staff at the Legislative Reception in the Historic Capitol. Photo courtesy of Mote Marine.

View more photos in the Oceans Day gallery here.

Florida Ocean Alliance's new trademark has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and will soon be registered. You will see our trademark, Florida's Blue Economy: Building a Sustainable Future^TM applied to all Alliance media, strengthening our organization's identity as an advocate for Florida's Blue Economy and protection of our ocean and coastal resources to ensure a sustainable future for our state. Learn more about Florida's Blue Economy

We are very grateful to our Vice President Spencer Crowley of Akerman LLP, who has engaged Akerman's Intellectual Property team to manage the trademark application and filing processes on behalf of the Alliance.

In Memoriam - Jerry Sansom

Above: Jerry Sansom, Florida Ocean Alliance Director Emeritus and former Executive Director, Organized Fishermen of Florida, is recognized for his leadership and contributions to commercial fishing in Florida.

“From the beginning, the Board of the Florida Ocean Alliance was designed to be a place where organizations and individuals with differing points of view could have conversations and seek consensus. Jerry always represented the interests of commercial fishermen while at the same time seeking what was best for Florida’s oceans and coasts.”

-Jim Murley, Miami-Dade County Office of Coastal Resilience

“Jerry Sansom was a strong and steady voice for Florida’s coastal and ocean resources. He had the rare ability to convene diverse coalitions, communicate no-nonsense solutions to complex problems, and combine good science with sound legislative policy.”

-Duane De Freese, Indian River Lagoon Council

Climate's a Changing

Port Everglades Undergoing Bulkhead Replacement Project to Counter Rising Sea Level

The new bulkheads were designed at the same height as the current bulkheads to accommodate 4.36 feet of sea level rise if required. The estimated projection comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' High Scenario Sea Level Rise established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. Construction of the new bulkheads is anticipated to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.

The North Entrance Channel Bulkhead Replacement Project is partially funded from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s $32 million Resilient Florida Infrastructure Grant that the Port received in early 2023. The remaining funds will come from port user fees.

To learn more about Port Everglades and its sustainability projects, visit PortEverglades.net.

The Exploring Florida Aquaculture Public Workshops debuted in February. The first of the four-part series was an introduction to Florida seafood and aquaculture. The program featured presentations from Jim Masterson, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, and Laura Issac Norton, Outreach Project Coordinator at FAU Harbor Branch; Portia Sapp, Assistant Director in the Division of Aquaculture at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; and Talley Hite, Outreach Partnership Lead at Seafood Watch, as well as a special screening of a film by Sereia Films, a nonprofit production company that provides education about sustainable seafood.



The series continues through May with the following program:

May 11: Restoration and aquariums

Learn more and register.

When Hurricanes and Coastal Construction Alter Bird Habitat - How Do They Fare?

For sea, shore, and wading birds along Florida’s coastline, breeding and foraging habitat is tightly linked to their ability to successfully raise their families. What is foraging habitat? Put simply, it’s the areas where these birds find their food. Coastlines are dynamic areas, and in 2023 we saw firsthand how changing shorelines are impacting some of Florida’s most vulnerable birds, from the diminutive Snowy Plovers to the theatrical Reddish Egrets. 

“Hurricanes have a large impact on bird habitat, but not in the way you might think,” explains Audrey DeRose Wilson, director of bird conservation for Audubon Florida. Coastal birds are adapted to hurricanes and actually benefit from overwash events that create new, open, sandy habitat. When a storm strips a beach of vegetation or covers that vegetation with sand, these newly disturbed areas become prime nesting sites for plovers, terns, and skimmers. Moreover, storms open inlets and create intertidal habitat that is perfect for shorebirds to forage for food, further boosting their opportunities for a successful nesting season. After 2018’s Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle, for example, sea and shorebirds hatched more chicks than in previous years. 

Above: Photo of a Reddish Egret.

Photo courtesy of Preeti Desai, Audubon

Similarly, we saw high numbers of Snowy Plover, Least Tern, and Black Skimmer nesting pairs in Southwest Florida after 2022’s Hurricane Ian. They not only hatched more chicks, but these chicks successfully fledged, and will hopefully return once they’ve matured to hatch chicks of their own. “After a storm, habitat changes are often viewed as destruction,” DeRose-Wilson continues. “We know it certainly feels that way for local communities, and our hearts go out to them as they seek to rebuild in the wake of a hurricane. But for birds, it’s different. They need storms to maintain the habitat they need to survive long term.”

Unfortunately, in a rush to rebuild after a storm, or by annually maintaining dredged channels or hardened shorelines, people are reducing critical foraging habitat for some of Florida’s most iconic species. In the Tampa Bay region, breeding Reddish Egret pairs are down by more than 70% in the past twenty years. While nesting habitat remains, they don’t have enough shallow areas to successfully hunt for food. Popular sites for beachgoers in the summer months further shrink available foraging areas. Reddish Egrets need these shallow depths to actively hunt for enough small fish to feed hungry chicks. Sea level rise will only exacerbate these problems, as the foraging habitat that exists becomes deeper while hardened seawalls prevent new shallow areas from forming.

Becky Prado, a former Alliance board member and a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in resilient coastal zone restoration, management, and policy, has recently joined Moffatt & Nichol, a leading global infrastructure advisory firm. Her addition strengthens the firm's already impressive team of over one hundred experts in Florida, specializing in coastal and infrastructure solutions aimed at enhancing community resilience through planning, design, and implementation.

Moffatt & Nichol is known for its comprehensive engineering and consulting services spanning various markets, such as marine terminal, transportation, energy, coastal, water resources, environmental, federal, and urban development. The firm's multidisciplinary approach, bringing together planners, engineers, environmental scientists, architects, and economists, ensures the delivery of responsible and practical solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of communities in both built and natural environments.



Noteworthy recent projects undertaken by Moffatt & Nichol include the acclaimed Tampa Riverwalk, the successful Shoreline Restoration initiative in the Town of Hillsboro Beach, and the ongoing Village of Key Biscayne Vulnerability Assessment. These projects exemplify the firm's commitment to sustainable development and resilience enhancement, demonstrating its capability to address complex challenges and deliver tangible benefits to communities across Florida and beyond.

Tides & Tastings: An Ocean Science Pairing Event for Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Monday, April 29th, 6-8 PM

  Walking Tree Brewery, 3209 Dodger Rd.,

Vero Beach, FL

We are delighted to announce that Salvador Deli and Walking Tree Brewery have graciously offered to host a fundraiser for Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in honor of our undergraduate and graduate students!

Indulge in a culinary journey with five delightful food and beer pairings, each representing one of the Institute's five priority areas. Mix and mingle with FAU Harbor Branch faculty, staff and students, while gaining valuable insight into the research taking place in your own backyard. This fun and unique event will be complemented by live music from Murphy Dogs, featuring Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., Executive Director, and Tim Moore, Ph.D., Research Professor.

Tickets include all five pairings. A portion of the proceeds will support student success at FAU Harbor Branch. Purchase Tickets

Questions? Contact Texa Gaya at mgaya@fau.edu or (772) 242-2230 or visit our site.

Ocean Exchange Showcases Innovators at CLIA Innovation Expo in Genoa

Above: Ocean Exchange CEO

Millicent Pitts at CLIA

AnchorGuardian, is a patented technology that immediately recognizes anchor drag, thus minimizing groundings, collisions, and environmental damage. 

Helix Power, kinetic batteries represent a key enabling technology for zero-emission port operations. 

Hydronalix, Advanced unmanned vehicles for emergency responders. Fully integrated mission support services. 

Impact Food, A food technology company that is restoring the health of our oceans by reinventing seafood using plants and biotechnology. 

Lios SoundBounce, is a smart acoustic material saving space and improving low-frequency attenuation in the maritime/ships industry. 

NatureMetrics, Measures corporate impact on biodiversity. Single and multi-species detection in a range of sample types and a wide array of ecosystems.

TUCCO Ltd., TUCCO’s hull cleaning system reduces hull friction and makes for fuel efficiency and lower fuel consumption - which means reduced CO2 and other emissions. 

WAVE - ADHERE GEAR, Eliminating food loss and reducing waste by continuously monitoring frozen and perishable food products, dry goods, and chemicals transported aboard.  

Ocean Exchange Opens the 2024 Collegiate Awards

Call for Solutions

Ocean Exchange has opened the 2024 Collegiate Awards Call for Solutions. The Ocean Exchange Collegiate Award for $10,000 is presented to a company in its earlier stages of development while still affiliated with a university. Over the past eight years, many of the finalists and winners of the Collegiate Award have been named to Forbes 30 under 30. The Collegiate Award is part of Ocean Exchange’s annual program that recognizes and helps advance innovation in technologies aimed at the health of our oceans and the Blue Economy. Awards go to solutions that advance our understanding of the ocean and help to minimize our impact on these resources. The application process is open through September 24.  The link to the application can be found on the Ocean Exchange website. For more information contact Susan Zellers at susan.zellers@oceanexchange.org.

Industries of the Future: Expanding Florida’s Aquaculture Insights and Innovations

You are cordially invited to participate in the sixth in a series of Industries of the Future virtual sessions to be held on April 10, 2024. This session - titled “Expanding Florida’s Aquaculture: Insights and Innovations” - will comprehensively address the sector through three main topics: the current state and overview of aquaculture in the region, the role of innovation and technology, and strategies for fostering a sustainable aquaculture community.

The Industries of the Future initiative was launched by the Economic Recovery Support Function (RSF) mission assigned by FEMA to serve Florida in the aftermath of Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. The aim of the initiative is to help state and community stakeholders see the potential for achieving greater economic diversification and resiliency through supporting industries of the future. Through the FEMA mission assigned to support Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, the Economic RSF seeks to continue the exploration of industries of the future with a focus on the ever-important aquaculture industry.

This virtual session will host a panel of speakers who will highlight innovative approaches, the importance of community and stakeholder engagement, and the vision for the future, as it aims to equip participants with the knowledge and resources needed to contribute to the sustainable growth of aquaculture in Florida. Moderator and speakers include:

1. Sherry Larkin, Ph. D., Director, Florida Sea Grant College Program, University of Florida.
2. Portia Sapp, Aquaculture Director, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
3. Damien Claire, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Atlantic Sapphire.
4. Ed Chiles, Founder, Chiles Hospitality and Sustainable Tourism Advocate.
5. LaDon Swann, Ph. D., Director, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, and Sea Grant Aquaculture Liaison. 

We welcome your collaboration in harnessing the full potential of aquaculture in Florida on April 10, 2024! 

Click here to register today.

From Discovery to Legacy:

New Cyanobacteria Named in Honor of Florida Sea Grant’s Betty Staugler

By Sarisha Boodoo, Florida Sea Grant

Sirenicapillaria stauglerae, originating from the Greek and Latin roots meaning “mermaid’s

hair” might seem like a whimsical name for algae. While some suggest it could be linked to the

long, wavy locks of Florida Sea Grant’s Elizabeth “Betty” Staugler, it primarily serves as a tribute

to Staugler’s steadfast dedication to researching and assessing coastal marine habitats, along

with her pivotal role in discovering the algae.

Staugler currently serves as the NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) liaison, coordinating harmful

algal bloom monitoring and forecasting efforts using satellite data. Before this, she spent 17

impactful years as a Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS extension agent in Charlotte County, where she

initiated citizen science programs like Eyes on Seagrass, engaging community members in

monitoring seagrass beds. In 2020, a local fishing guide named Captain Van Hubbard

approached Staugler to investigate concerns about severe seagrass and macroalgae. This

collaboration led to the discovery of new algae species, one of which was named after Staugler.

Sirenicapillaria stauglerae, characterized by thin strands resembling hair - akin to mermaid hair -

represents a potential threat due to its ability to grow on seagrass, form floating mats, and

emitting a strong odor. While the understanding of this new algal discovery is still evolving, Betty

Staugler emphasizes the significance of current research and monitoring in uncovering

potential threats and informing conservation strategies – all of which would not have been

possible without her. Read More.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $3.9 million for Ocean-Based Climate Resilience Accelerators Through Investing in America Agenda

Funding will bolster NOAA’s efforts to support climate resilience through new and emerging technology.

Restored Coral Reefs Can Grow As Fast As Healthy Reefs

Planting new coral in degraded reefs can lead to rapid recovery – with restored reefs growing as fast as healthy reefs after just four years, new research shows.

5 Ways to Help Nature and Communities Build Climate Resilience - Pew Charitable Trust

Florida developed its first climate-ready management plan in 2023 for the newly protected Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve, a stretch of nearly 400,000 acres of seagrass ...

Follow Florida Ocean Alliance on social media for more industry news and information.

Do you enjoy the quarterly Florida Ocean News? Consider a donation to help us continue to share important developments and information about our oceans, coasts and Florida's blue economy.



Glenn Wiltshire, President

Port Everglades

Spencer Crowley, Vice President

Akerman LLP

Jackie Larson, Secretary

Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association

Jeff Eble, Ph.D., Treasurer

Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute

Paul Anderson

Executive Committee

Port Tampa Bay

Josh Carroll

Royal Caribbean Group

Holly Baumgartner, Ph.D.

NSU Halmos College of Arts and Sciences 

The Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center 



Michael Crosby, Ph.D.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Duane E. De Freese, Ph.D.

Executive Committee

Indian River Lagoon Council

Richard Dodge, Ph.D.

Director Emeritus

David McDonald

McDonald, Miller & Coleman LLC

Director Emeritus

Kumar Mahadevan, Ph.D.

Founding Member

Director Emeritus

Alexis Meschelle

Organized Fishermen of Florida



James F. Murley, Esq.

Founding Member

Executive Committee

Miami-Dade County

Office of Resilience

Gretchen Winters

Florida Harbor Pilots Association

Bradley Watson

The Everglades Foundation

Julie Wraithmell

Audubon of Florida



Lenore Alpert, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Jeff Watters

The Ocean Conservancy

Susan Zellers

Ocean Exchange

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.