Dr. Lisa Krimsky (middle) presented the 2025 Don Sweat Award by Dr. Sherry Larkin (left) and Dr. Maia McGuire (right).
Dr. Lisa Krimsky, Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS Regional Water Resources Extension Agent (RSA) has been presented the prestigious 2025 Don Sweat Sea Grant Extension Award. Dr. Krimsky’s work focuses on providing resources that encourage behavior change to reduce non-point sources of pollution and encouraging science-based recommendations to mitigate the public health, economic, and environmental impacts of harmful algal blooms.
The award was created to honor the retirement of the late Don Sweat, a trailblazer in Florida Sea Grant’s early Marine Extension programming. This accolade is presented annually upon a Florida Sea Grant agent who embodies the motto “Science Serving Florida’s Coast.” The recipient is recognized for displaying initiative, innovation, creativity, and leadership in their extension programming.
“My works include facilitating relationships between academia and government to ensure that management strategies consider the best available science and that the research being conducted and the tools being developed meet the needs of those responsible for managing our natural resources,” says Dr. Krimsky. “I am extremely honored to have received the Don Sweat Award. I am constantly in awe of the innovation, influence, and impact of my Sea Grant colleagues. Being recognized by them for my own work is extremely humbling.”
Dr. Krimsky is part of a team of five Water Resource Regional Specialized Agents located across the state to lead and support water resource extension education programs. Her efforts are focused primarily in southeast Florida, covering 12 counties from Brevard County through Monroe County. These areas comprise critical coastal areas including the Indian River Lagoon, the Lake Worth Lagoon, Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay and the waters surrounding the Florida Keys, and Lake Okeechobee – the state’s largest freshwater lake.
Dr. Krimsky facilitating audience activity at the 2023 Blue-Green Algae State of the Science Symposium.
“Her work on HABs is particularly important for the counties I serve, as HABs and water management issues related to Lake Okeechobee are among the chief concerns of Treasure Coast residents,” says Dr. Vincent Encomio, Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS Extension Agent for Martin and St. Lucie Counties.
Despite the frequency of these harmful algal bloom events and the amount of publicly available information, there persists a gap in knowledge about the organism itself, management actions, and the real and perceived health risks to Florida’s residents and tourists. Recognizing the importance of a statewide communication strategy to promote better decision-making during red tide events, Dr. Krimsky, has worked with NOAA HAB Liaison, Betty Staugler, to organize and facilitate three State of the Science Symposiums, covering Karenia brevis and Microcystis spp, cyanobacterial blooms, and red tide.
Dr. Krimsky also has produced several communications products including a 2024 published article in the Special Edition of Oceanography Journal promoting collaboration among HAB stakeholders; a comprehensive communication plan for residents, visitors, and businesses on HAB occurrences; and a Composite Red Tide Vulnerability Index (CRTVI), which assesses and communicates the socio-economic vulnerability of coastal communities to red tide in Florida.
Beyond her recognition as Florida Sea Grant’s “HAB’s expert”, Dr. Krimsky’s energetic, enthusiastic and collaborative spirit nurtures the success of her Florida Sea Grant colleagues and peers.
I am extremely honored to have received the Don Sweat Award. I am constantly in awe of the innovation, influence, and impact of my Sea Grant colleagues. Being recognized by them for my own work is extremely humbling.
Dr. Krimsky, with Shelly Krueger, started programs in Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys to help train citizens to monitor the water quality of both Biscayne Bay and residential canals in the Florida Keys.
Since 2020, Dr. Lisa Krimsky has collaborated with Dr. Vincent Encomio on the Martin County Water Ambassador Program Webinar Series. This program offers virtual webinars and includes in-person field trips and tours of various organizations and facilities. One such event in 2024 featured a visit to the Florida Oceanographic Society, where participants learned about seagrass restoration and the completed Ripple stormwater project in Old Palm City.
“Participating in the Water Ambassador Program with Dr. Krimsky has helped me seamlessly transition into my role as an extension agent,” says Dr. Encomio. “ From her, I learned the ins and outs of developing an extension program, planning the curriculum and coordinating with guest speakers. The program’s reach now extends beyond county borders, and her continued feedback has been invaluable to my growth as an agent.”
Dr. Krimsky also demonstrated strong leadership and collaboration skills by bringing together extension agents from multiple counties to organize the inaugural Eyes on Seagrass Blitz in the Indian River Lagoon region. At the request of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, she partnered with Florida Sea Grant’s communications team, extension agents in surrounding counties, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to promote the event.
Her influence spans across the University of Florida campus. Dr. Krimsky is actively involved with the UF Water Institute, where she was named a Water Institute Distinguished Faculty Fellow in 2021. She serves on the institute’s Faculty Advisory Committee, has contributed to the planning of its Symposium, and is currently chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee. She is also a faculty member of the Center for Land Use Efficiency.
Dr. Lisa Krimsky is a true testament to serving all of Florida’s coast. Her work and the inspiration she provides create ripple effects felt across every corner of the state.
