Florida Sea Grant has a history of wisely using its financial and personnel resources to provide cutting edge scientific information, innovative and effective education, communication and outreach programs to address critical issues affecting Florida’s coast. Now more than ever, with scarce financial resources, strategic program management is required to identify novel ways to tackle the diverse, interconnected and complex issues identified in this plan. Continuing to aggressively address coastal and marine issues is critical for sustainability of the Florida coastal environment and economy. With such an intimate linkage between its residents, economy and coastal resources, and with the pressing need for practical solutions to problems faced by coastal communities around the world, Florida has the opportunity to be a model of success that can be applied world-wide.
Strategies:
- Florida Sea Grant will identify and implement partnership agreements with state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations aimed at cooperatively addressing common mission elements of the respective programs.
- As examples, the missions of Sea Grant, NOAA Coastal Services Centers and NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserves may be facilitated by development of specific partnership agreements related to jointly sponsored research, education and/or outreach.
- Public-private partnerships also will be pursued to accomplish research, education and outreach to foster sustainable operations and create growth opportunities for particular coastal and marine sectors.
- Florida Sea Grant will identify and pursue opportunities to coordinate inter-institutional responses to requests for proposals from state, federal and private funding sources where it is clear that this approach can effectively address pressing coastal and / or marine issues.
- A coordinated program will be implemented with guidance from the Advisory Council and in cooperation with the University of Florida Foundation to establish an increased endowment base for Florida Sea Grant, to provide the program with additional resources needed to address its mission.
- Florida Sea Grant will continue to support professional development opportunities for its marine extension faculty.
- A process will be developed whereby input from the various marine extension agent advisory councils can be provided on a regular basis to the Director, for ongoing consideration as program activities are implemented and adjusted over the next four years to best meet the needs of coastal resources and communities.
- A set of state-wide education and extension programs will be developed focused on strategies identified in this plan. These may include, for example, programs that provide citizens with objective information on how coastal environments and economies are expected to be affected by climate change, information regarding actions that citizens can take to mitigate societal impacts to coastal and marine ecosystems, and information on safe and healthy seafood choices.
- Florida Sea Grant will remain actively involved with regional councils and programs including the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council, Florida Oceans Alliance, Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Gulf of Mexico and Southeast Atlantic Regional Research Plans, and the Coastal Ocean Observing System (Gulf, SE Atlantic and Florida) to maximize opportunities for coordinated research, education and outreach activities.
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