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Quarterly News & Updates, Volume 4, October 2023
Conservation, Education & Economic Development
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Greetings Members and Friends,
| First, please join me in thanking Paul Anderson for his outstanding leadership of the Florida Ocean Alliance over the past two years. As Paul announced in the last newsletter, he was recently elected as Chairman of the Board of the American Association of Port Authorities. While he will remain on our Board, he has stepped down as President. I am honored to move up into the role of President until our next election of officers. | |
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Thank you to those on our Board of Directors who were able to participate in our annual strategic planning meeting in August. In addition to the presentations provided by representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Florida Department of Commerce, we had very lively discussions covering a range of issues, potential projects, and areas of focus for the Alliance in 2024 and beyond. We will be working together to further define some specific initiatives for consideration at our annual Board meeting on November 14. We will also be holding our elections for new officers during that meeting, so if you are interested in taking on a leadership role with the Alliance, please let Lenore Alpert know, and she will pass that information on to the Nominating Committee.
It is a pleasure to welcome Susan Zellers of Ocean Exchange to our Board of Directors. Ocean Exchange supports and represents the voice of innovative, start-up companies that develop marine-focused technologies and solutions around the world. If you happen to be in Fort Lauderdale between October 22-24, think about stopping by the Ocean Exchange event where they will be selecting the winners of their awards recognizing innovation in technologies aimed at the health of our oceans and the Blue Economy.
As you know, our annual leadership meeting and fundraiser is on November 9 at Port Tampa Bay, and we have an impressive roster of speakers who will address important coastal resilience issues and solutions. If you have not already committed to attending or supporting the event, I encourage you to join us or sponsor the event at whatever level you can. There are several sponsorship opportunities including a new “Leader” sponsorship, which will allow Florida marine science and technology undergraduate or graduate students – our future leaders– to attend. Your support of the event will help the Florida Ocean Alliance continue our important work of protecting coastal and ocean resources, advocating for coastal resilience initiatives, and supporting a sustainable Blue Economy. Also, please share our event promotions with your own colleagues and networks and invite them to attend. The funds raised at the event will help us maintain and grow our organization. Thank you for your involvement and support, and I look forward to seeing many of you in Tampa on November 9.
Sincerely,
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Glenn Wiltshire
President
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Florida Ocean Alliance News | |
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Florida Ocean Alliance will host its second annual Leadership Meeting on November 9, 2023, at Port Tampa Bay. The 2023 theme, “Coastal Resilience – Protecting Florida’s Blue Economy and Future,” will focus on the critical issues of sea level rise and coastal resilience, the impacts on Florida’s natural and built infrastructure and the Blue Economy - and innovative technologies and solutions that are underway around the state.
The program will include presentations by:
- Dr. Mark Rains, Chief Science Officer, Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection
- Jim Murley, Chief Resilience Officer, Miami-Dade County
- Dr. Charles Colgan, Director of Research, Center for the Blue Economy
- Dr. Thomas Frazer, Dean and Professor, USF College of Marine Science and Executive Director, Florida Flood Hub
- Rebecca Prado, Florida Coastal Resiliency Leader, WSP USA
- Fredrik Wannius, Co-founder, Print1 3D Printed Coastal Protection
The Alliance Board of Directors and members, and leaders from marine industries and ports, research and academia, NGOs and government will attend. Following the program, an onboard reception, silent auction, and yacht cruise in Port Tampa Bay will offer guests and speakers an opportunity to network and gain insight into the dynamic ports and marine industry sectors of Florida’s vital Blue Economy.
Advance registration is required before October 31, 2023. More information is available here.
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Susan Zellers of Ocean Exchange Joins
the Alliance Board of Directors
Florida Ocean Alliance has elected Susan Zellers of Ocean Exchange to the Board of Directors. Susan is the Program Director at the non-profit Ocean Exchange.
Ocean Exchange is a global ecosystem whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and a sustainable blue economy. “I look forward to joining this group of key stakeholders in Florida’s blue economy and representing the perspectives of the ocean and coastal innovation startups that Ocean Exchange fosters,” said Zellers.
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The Florida Ocean Alliance Board of Directors and members met on August 7 in Ft. Lauderdale for the annual Strategic Planning Meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss priorities and set direction for the Alliance’s future actions and initiatives.
The guest speakers included:
Joanna Walczak of Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Coral Protection and Restoration Program, who updated members on the status of Florida’s coral reefs and restoration initiatives, funding mechanisms, Governor’s initiative, water quality, and other restoration projects.
Dr. Tom Reinert, Regional Director, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who presented "Managing Florida’s Habitats and Species Under Changing Conditions" and highlighted examples of statewide restoration projects.
Laura DiBella, Immediate Past Florida Secretary of Commerce, President and CEO at Enterprise Florida, who discussed transitions underway with the merging of Enterprise Florida and the Department of Economic Opportunity into the Department of Commerce, and the significant role of the Blue Economy in Florida’s overall economy.
Alliance President Glenn Wiltshire guided the group discussions, which covered a range of issues, potential projects, and areas of focus for the Alliance in 2024 and beyond. Several board members volunteered to work together to further define specific initiatives for consideration or implementation.
The Alliance thanks member MIASF for hosting the meeting at their Fort Lauderdale headquarters.
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Member News & Announcements | |
Steering Toward Climate-Friendly Fuels | |
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Cruise line customers and ports across the U.S., including Port Everglades, are endeavoring to reduce their carbon footprint by taking proactive measures such as exploring alternative fuels and installing shore power to allow cruise ships to plug in and reduce emissions. These progressive investments align with the directive for ships issued by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which aims for carbon neutrality in cruising by 2050. “These initiatives and technology speak to our core values of strength, resiliency and sustainability,” said Jonathan Daniels, Port Everglades CEO and Port Director. “We are proud to serve as homeport for a vessel like Silver Nova.”
More ships are being designed to minimize their carbon footprint, including Silversea Cruises’
Silver Nova. The world’s first low-emissions cruise ship will be named at Port Everglades on
January 4, 2024, before embarking on her South America Grand Voyage. “The hull will be redesigned and optimized for dynamic efficiency, to minimize the consumption of fuel, while maintaining the speed we need for the itinerary,” said Roberto Bruzzone, senior vice president of Marine Operations for Silversea Cruises, in a Silversea interview. Increased reliance on LED lighting will also lower power consumption. “And the vessel will be installed with a micro gasification system, one of the world’s most compact and efficient technologies to convert what we produce as waste into thermal energy.”
These energy-saving efficiencies are just some of the hallmarks of Silversea’s 728-passenger
ship that is primarily powered by liquefied natural gas and can use shore power when docked. Port Everglades is an easy choice for cruise guests because of the diversity of ships calling its port such as Silver Nova, its proximity to exciting Caribbean destinations, and direct access via highways and three international airports. The port, Green Marine certified, has focused programs to protect wildlife such as manatees, birds, and fish, as well as maintaining clean air and water through mangrove conservation and coral relocation during construction.
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Pictured at right, Port Everglades’ enviable location in the heart of South Florida and a shell’s throw away from the Caribbean makes it the third busiest homeport in the world.
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Florida Fish & Wildlife Foundation Supports Response to Corals Rescue After Ocean Heat Event
In response to this summer’s unprecedented high ocean temperatures in the Florida Keys, more than 18,000 corals in in situ nurseries had to be removed from the ocean and temporarily housed wherever room could be found. The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is helping fund the travel and lodging of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Heat Response Team (HeaRT), which is assisting in the identification and care of these corals. These scientists, gathered from institutions in Florida and many other states, are also advising local organizations on how to prepare for future heat events.
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Audubon Florida Reports Sightings of American Flamingos Beyond Their Normal Ranges After Hurricane Idalia
| Pictured at left, an American Flamingo in Port Tampa Bay after Hurricane Idalia. Photo: Jeff Liechty | |
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In August, dozens of American Flamingos appeared across Florida. Blown in by Hurricane Idalia, flamingos landed as far north as St. Marks Wildlife Refuge all the way south to Collier County, including a record sighting in Alachua County.
Where are they?
Sightings have been reported on beaches and in other natural areas including the Florida Keys, Everglades National Park, Tigertail Beach, the Sanibel Causeway, Bunche Beach, Punta Gorda, Charlotte Harbor, Clearwater, Treasure Island, Siesta Key, Tarpon Springs, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Pithlachoco, and in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, and more.
Where did they come from?
American Flamingos are more numerous in Mexico and Cuba, and Hurricane Idalia likely “captured” single flamingos and small flocks from these regions, blowing them to Florida on strong storm winds.
Why are there not more flamingos in Florida?
Unfortunately, the use of feathers as adornments on women’s hats became all the rage in the 19th century, increasing in popularity until the late 1800s when an ounce of feathers fetched more than gold. Hunters swept through the wading bird colonies of the Southeast, decimating their populations. Only through the formation of the National Audubon Society and the passage of laws outlawing this carnage—plus hiring wardens to protect the birds—did bird numbers begin to recover. Sadly, the recovery was stymied again by the ditching and draining of the Everglades in the 20th century, which destroyed wading bird habitat.
How can we protect flamingos in Florida?
We must continue to restore the Everglades, sending the water to the right places at the right time. We must advocate for clean water and conservation along our coastlines to protect the habitat that flamingos need now and into the future. Have you seen a flamingo? Let us know! flconservation@audubon.org
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The Future of Coral Reef Restoration Depends on Science and Collaboration
Florida’s Coral Reef experienced record-breaking heat waves during the summer of 2023 caused by unusually high seawater temperatures that started early in the season, resulting in mass coral bleaching in certain areas. Florida’s reef managers, scientists, conservation organizations and reef users, sounded the alarm and worked collectively to protect restoration investments, to preserve genetic diversity, and to enact monitoring to better understand the extent and potential impacts of the bleaching.
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The Florida Reef Resilience Program (FRRP), a consortium of stakeholders managed by The
Nature Conservancy (TNC) on behalf of the reef management agencies, focuses on developing
strategies for mitigating climate change and other stressors that decrease the Reef’s resilience.
The FRRP focused on implementing Florida’s Bleaching Response Plan by communicating about
the risk of bleaching and making decisions about how best to track changes on the Reef through
the Disturbance Response Monitoring (DRM) program. The DRM program, led by Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission and contributed to by agency and academic partners,
was created in 2005 to check the condition of shallow water reefs from Dry Tortugas National
Park to Martin County during the annual period of peak heat stress. If warranted, follow-up
surveys conducted three to four months after a bleaching event help reef managers understand
the impacts of severe bleaching by providing data on whether corals recovered or perished as a
result of the event.
Mote Marine Laboratory, an FRRP partner with significant investments in coral reef restoration,
immediately began an unprecedented evacuation of thousands of stressed and dying coral from
its four offshore coral nurseries in July.
With the help of over 70 staff members, six Mote research vessels, and immense support from
the community and other partners, Mote carefully transported thousands of stressed and dying
corals from its offshore nurseries to its three land-based coral nurseries in the Keys, as well as
to its Sarasota-based Mote Aquaculture Research Park.
Learn more about Mote’s herculean effort here. And click the links for more information about
FRRP and Disturbance Response Monitoring. To report observations of bleaching in the Florida
Keys, visit Mote’s BleachWatch site, and in Southeast Florida visit the SEAFAN BleachWatch site.
Read the full article
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Mote staff transported thousands of stressed and dying corals from its offshore nurseries to land-based coral nurseries. | |
Bleached Elkhorn coral in one of Mote's underwater nurseries following the recent record-breaking ocean heat event | |
Healthy Elkhorn coral from Mote's underwater nurseries were relocated to Mote's land-based coral nursery on Summerland Key. | | |
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PortMiami Is Committed to Sustainable Growth | | |
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PortMiami, which is recognized as the “Cruise Capital of the World” and “Global Cargo Gateway,” is committed to sustainable growth. Recent infrastructure and capital projects at the port are aimed at building innovation, efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. Among the projects are 13 all-electric gantry cranes, which replaced diesel powered equipment; 12 electric Rubber-Tired Gantries (eRTGs) in the South Florida Container Terminal cargo yard, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent; Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System, which helps identify when a container enters a cargo terminal, communicates that to the eRTG in the terminal, and leads to a decrease in idling time of transport trucks; Facial Biometrics System, which expedites the debarkation process and was implemented in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Building Management Systems, which monitor the use of electricity in cruise terminals and parking garages. All garages now have LED lights and motion sensors, which use a fraction of electricity.
Additionally, the port is finalizing its Shore Power Program, a partnership between PortMiami, its cruise partners (Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Group, and Virgin Voyages) and Florida Power & Light Company. Upon completion, shore power capability will be available at five cruise terminals with the ability to plug in three ships at a time. Shore power will allow a cruise ship to turn off their primary engines while docked, resulting in reduced air emissions.
PortMiami is a department of Miami-Dade County.
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Delivery of Electric Rubber-Tired Gantries at PortMiami | |  |
Electric Rubber-Tired Gantries moving containers throughout PortMiami’s cargo yard | | |
Ocean Exchange Event Is
October 22-24 in Ft. Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale will again host the annual Ocean Exchange Event where three $100,000 nondilutive cash prizes will be awarded. More than 175 applications were received this year from startups around the world. The event will be held October 22-24 at the Hyatt Centric Hotel on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
In addition to the cash awards, Ocean Exchange has created a large ecosystem open to all who compete to help connect them to business, government or financial market resources that can move them along the path to commercialization. For more information about the annual competition and event, please contact Ocean Exchange Program Director Susan Zellers at susan.zellers@oceanexchange.org.
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Ocean Exchange 2022 Awards | Ocean Exchange personnel and 2022 prize winners | |
Port Tampa Bay Hosted the Commissioning of
the USS Jack H. Lucas DDG 125 Warship
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Port Tampa Bay was the host facility for the Naval Commissioning of the USS Jack H. Lucas DDG 125 warship on October 7. The Jack H. Lucas Commissioning Committee, Navy League of Tampa and U.S. Department of the Navy worked with the Port to host the ceremony.
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship into active Navy service. The moment the commissioning pennant is broken at the masthead, a ship becomes a Navy command in her own right and takes her place alongside the other active ships of the fleet.
Port President and CEO Paul Anderson served as a co-chair of the Jack H. Lucas Commissioning Committee along with Skip Witunski, President of the Tampa Bay Navy League, led by Executive Director Darryl Adams. Honorary chairs of the event included U.S. Senator Rick Scott, U.S. Congressman Daniel Webster, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. Learn more at http://www.ddg125.org/.
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Bonefish & Tarpon Trust's mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon and permit—the species, their habitats, and the larger fisheries they comprise. As a science-based organization, BTT pursues this mission across the southeastern US, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea through research, conservation, education and advocacy.
Learn more at BTT.org.
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Recent Studies of Bonefish and Redfish Reveal a Concerning Presence
of Pharmaceuticals in Florida’s Recreational Fisheries
A year-long study by Florida International University (FIU) and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) recently discovered pharmaceutical contaminants in the blood and other tissues of redfish in Florida waters. This research follows a similar study of bonefish in the Florida Keys, which revealed high levels of pharmaceutical contamination. This new study shows that these waterborne contaminants are a concern statewide.
“The results underscore the urgent need to modernize Florida’s wastewater treatment systems,” said BTT President and CEO Jim McDuffie. “Human-based contaminants like these pose a significant threat to Florida’s recreational fishery, which has an annual economic impact of $13.9 billion and directly supports more than 120,000 jobs.”
Scientists and volunteer guides and anglers sampled redfish in nine of Florida’s most important estuaries: Pensacola, Apalachicola, Cedar Key, Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Florida Bay, Northern Indian River Lagoon (IRL), St. Augustine, and Jacksonville. Similar to the results of the previous bonefish study, pharmaceuticals were found in all the estuaries sampled, with an average number of 2.1 drugs per fish and a maximum of five. Only seven out of the 113 sampled fish had zero drugs in their system. On average, 25.7 percent of the fish exceeded a level of pharmaceuticals considered safe, which equates to one-third of the therapeutic levels in humans. Read the full article here.
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Click Here to view a summary of Redfish Pharmaceutical Contaminants Study’s findings.
A Florida redfish is pictured at right. Pharmaceutical contaminants have been shown to affect all aspects of the life of fish, including their feeding, activity, sociability, and migratory behavior.
Photo credit: Pat Ford
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More Marine News & Information | |
New Study Definitively Confirms Gulf Stream Weakening | The Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Straits has slowed by 4% over the past four decades, with 99% certainty that this weakening is more than expected from random chance, according to a new study. | | |
For Florida's Ailing Corals, No Relief From the Heat - Inside Climate News | No immediate end is in sight to the unprecedented marine heat wave stressing the state's coral reefs, raising fears the heart-rending losses seen here may portend a global bleaching event that could affect reefs from Florida to Colombia, scientists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. | | |
Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit Hosted on Whova | November 16 - 17, 2023, Miami Beach, Florida | | |
Tracking Blue: From Ambition to Action for a Sustainable Ocean Economy - Ocean Panel | The First Progress Report from The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy In 2020, the Ocean Panel released the Transformations, an ambitious ocean action agenda... | | |
Apalachicola Bay System Initiative: Pathway to Recovery | September 2023 Update -The Apalachicola Bay System Initiative Newsletter - The ABSI mission: to gain insight into the root causes... | | |
Archaeologists Dive into Florida's Past and Find Lessons on Adapting to Future Sea Rise | Since people started living in Florida, sea levels have risen 300 feet and the state's landmass has shrunk by half. Lessons about how our our ancient ancestors adapted could help modern Floridians cope with climate change. | | | |
Turning U.S. Ocean Climate into Action | With the Biden-Harris Administration releasing it's whole-of-government Ocean Climate Action Plan, now is the time to evaluate the next steps for true climate solutions and environmental justice. | | |
Meet the Ecopreneur Network Class of 2023 | Introducing the Ecopreneur Network Class of 2023. Eleven world-changing startups working on innovative solutions to our ocean's greatest challenges. | | |
Pacific Coral Reef Shows Historic Increase in Climate Resistance | Coral reefs in one part of the Pacific Ocean have likely adjusted to higher ocean temperatures which could reduce future bleaching impacts of climate change, new research reveals. | | |
Opinion | We Need to Get More Plastic into the Blue Bins. The Question Is How. | We desperately need policy changes to make recycling easier and reduce plastic use. | | |
Opportunities for Transforming Coastal and Marine Tourism: Towards Sustainability, Regeneration and Resilience - Ocean Panel | In December 2020, the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) released its 'Transformations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.' | | |
Port Everglades Awarded NAMEPA's Maritime Sustainability Passport & Seal for ESG Efforts - NAMEPA | September 27 - Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announced that Port Everglades is the latest recipient of... | | | |
How Hurricane Idalia Changed Tampa Bay Beaches | Storm surge washed away sand and dunes, leaving just a thin, bare shore along the famous barrier islands. | | |
The Race to Rescue Corals from a Blistering Marine Heat Wave | While corals can recover from mass bleaching events like this, long periods of high heat can leave them weak and vulnerable to disease that can ultimately kill them. | | |
One Man's Quest to Heal the Oceans-And Maybe Save the World | "I don't see a bigger purpose than working to save life on earth," says ecologist and ocean conservationist Enric Sala. | | |
What Did Florida Learn from Hurricane Idalia? Here Are 5 Takeaways. | From increased flood risks to Ron DeSantis' shift from campaign messaging, here's what the storm revealed. | | |
The Ocean is the Next Frontier for the Carbon Removal Industry | New carbon removal startups are raking in millions with the promise of trapping emissions in the ocean. | | |
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) | A guide to Protect and Restore our Bays Together The St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program (SASJBEP) has worked with stakeholders from across the watershed to determine the priority issues that we will work together to address over the next ten years. | | |
NAMEPA Announces the Winners of Its Marine Environment Protection Awards - PortMiami Awarded | September 18 - The winners of the prestigious NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association) Marine Environment Protection Awards for 2023 were announced today. Winners include MSC Cruises for Sustainability... | | | |
Follow FOA on social media for more industry news and information. | |
Masthead photo courtesy of St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program: Wetlands bordering a portion of the St. Andrew Bay system in Bay County, FL. Photo credit: Chris Hermes, Pinfish Media | | |
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Glenn Wiltshire
(President)
Port Everglades
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Richard Dodge, Ph.D.
(Treasurer)
Nova Southeastern University
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Jackie Larson
(Secretary)
Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association
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Paul Anderson
(Past President)
Port Tampa Bay
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Anne Birch
The Nature Conservancy
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Josh Carroll
Royal Caribbean Group
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Duane E. De Freese, Ph.D.
Indian River Lagoon Council
FOA Executive Committee
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Jeff Eble
Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute
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Monty Graham, Ph.D.
Florida Institute of Oceanography
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Kumar Mahadevan, Ph.D.
Founding Member
Florida Ocean Alliance,
FOA Director Emeritus
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James F. Murley, Esq.
Miami-Dade County,
Florida Ocean Alliance
Founding Member and
Executive Committee
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Sherry Larkin, Ph.D.
Florida Sea Grant College Program
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Denise McCafferty
Lloyd's Register
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David McDonald
McDonald, Miller & Coleman LLC
FOA Director Emeritus
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Alexis Meschelle
Organized Fishermen of Florida
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Ellen Prager, Ph.D.
Earth2Ocean, Inc.
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Phil Purcell
Marine Industries Association of South Florida
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Kellie Ralston
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
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Jerry Sansom
Florida Ocean Alliance
FOA Director Emeritus
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Jim Sullivan, Ph.D.
Florida Atlantic University- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
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Jeff Watters
The Ocean Conservancy
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Matthew Upton
Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service
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Gretchen Winters
Florida Harbor Pilots Association
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Bradley Watson
The Everglades Foundation
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Julie Wraithmell
Audubon of Florida
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Susan Zellers
Ocean Exchange
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Lenore Alpert, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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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. | | | | |
