Florida Sea Grant has developed a vibrant and productive program to address the diverse boating needs and issues that face Florida and the nation.

This innovative and award-winning program blends research and outreach to develop products and solutions that serve boaters, the marine industry, resource managers and policy makers. A key to program success has been the collaborative partnerships established with a diversity of organizations.

The program has also developed products and services within a science-based framework that addresses boating and environmental issues.

They include:

• economic and environmental assessments of the boating sector;
• Geographical Information System (GIS) procedures for ecological planning;
• prioritization systems for evaluating storm damage to vessels;
• boat traffic monitoring schemes;
• regional recreational boating characterizations, boat channel maintenance and spoil management planning;
• marine land and water use site planning;
• methods of shallow-water bathymetric surveying for charting recreational boating waterways and prioritizing waterway management;
• and the development of strategic plans for inland navigation districts.

The program is directed by Robert Swett, the Florida Sea Grant boating and waterway management specialist.