Florida navigates a complex and rapidly evolving legal landscape when it comes to managing on-the-water activities. With 18.5% of the state covered by water, vast stretches of shallow and sensitive estuaries, and more than a million registered vessels, hundreds of coastal local governments are tasked with regulating this busy and vulnerable maritime environment.
The Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the Florida Bar (ELULS) and Florida Sea Grant are hosting a four-part zoom webinar series focused on boating, waterways, and coastal ecosystems, bringing together both legal and marine science expertise to coalesce boating laws in Florida. Participants are eligible to receive continuing legal education (CLE) credits.
Webinar #1
December 11, 2025
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
This initial program will set the stage by reviewing the legal authority for boating and waterway management, submerged lands ownership and management, outlining the roles of the agencies with primary regulatory and management jurisdiction, and explaining their relationship to Florida’s local governments. Attorneys, marine and coastal resource managers, planners, and marine scientists will gain a unique opportunity to learn about Florida’s boating laws from a diverse panel of experts.
Speakers include:
- Tom Ankersen
- Brendan Mackesey
- Justin McBride
- Janet Zimmerman
- Major Bill Holcomb
- Byron Flagg
This webinar has passed.
Webinar #2
March 18, 2026
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
This is the second of a four-part webinar series focused on boating, waterways and coastal ecosystems hosted by ELULS and Florida Sea Grant, coupling legal and marine science expertise. This webinar will focus on the federal, state and local regulatory framework governing vessels navigating on the waters of the state. Speakers will discuss topics such as: The Florida Clean Vessel Act Program, Vessel regulation, enforcement, and the 2025 Florida Boater Freedom Act, and more.
Speakers include:
- Tom Ankersen
- Brendan Mackesey
- Cayelan Cwirka
- Capt. Rachel Bryant
- Lt. Nick Korade
- Scott Szczepaniak
- Vicki Gambale
This webinar has passed.
Webinar #3
June 24, 2026
12:00 - 1:30 PM ET
This is the third of a four-part webinar series focused on boating, waterways and coastal ecosystems hosted by ELULS and Florida Sea Grant, coupling legal and marine science expertise. Speakers from Florida Sea Grant, The Florida Inland Navigation District, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will:
1. Review the legal history of anchoring and mooring field regulation and management in Florida;
2. Discuss the waterway conditions that have led recent legislatures to provide additional state and local tools to manage anchoring and mooring fields;
3. Review the policies and programs that facilitate the removal of derelict vessels, and proactively flag at-risk vessels before they become derelict;
4. Provide a local government perspective on waterway management, including recent legislative authority conferred through local code enforcement.
Speakers include:
- Brendan Mackesey, NOAA, Chair, ELULS, Session Moderator
- Thomas Ankersen, Professor Emeritus, University of Florida College of Law, Florida Sea Grant
- Janet Zimmerman, Executive Director, Florida Inland Navigation District
- Phil Horning, Boating and Waterways Section, Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission