Team OCEAN Focuses on Boaters and Beachgoers

Team OCEAN (Ocean Conservation Education Action Network) is a boat-based volunteer program supported through a partnership among Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida Sea Grant, and local community donors. Volunteers make weekly visits to high-use boating areas, sharing information on "Leave-No-Trace" practices, boating safety, fisheries conservation, and marine recreation in an effort to keep Rookery Bay a pristine wilderness experience. Team OCEAN also conducts regular beach clean-ups and helps protect wildlife by posting crossover trail and "Important Nesting Area" signs. (2016)

Partners: Florida Sea Grant, Rookery Bay Reserve, Team OCEAN

Huge Gated Community Embraces Living Shorelines

A workshop on living shorelines and coast-friendly landscaping hosted by the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve motivated a 900-site homeowners’ association to institute a living shorelines committee. This committee is encouraging living shorelines, adding living shoreline information to their website, and considering permit reviews and neighbor notification whenever property owners pursue hardened shorelines. The association is also moving toward more sustainable landscaping on their 1,200 acres. (2016)

Partners: Apalachicola Reserve, Florida Sea Grant, Franklin County Extension, St. George Plantation Homeowners’ Association

Resilience Planning Effort Engages Public and Clears Path for Adaptation

With more than 85 percent of its land area at an elevation below ten feet, the vulnerable barrier island town of Satellite Beach stepped up efforts to make the community more resilient. Their efforts led to comprehensive land use policy amendments that incorporate sea level rise projections.

The new adaptation action policies were created to address inland flooding and coastal erosion. Topographic maps, vulnerability assessments, and extensive public input were part of the process, as project partners determined vulnerability exposure from five perspectives: financial, built parcels, land use, critical facility, and environmental and ecological.

Community erosion policies now favor the use of natural features for protection and restoration. A sustainability board is in place that makes recommendations for efforts where climate change and environmental sustainability play a role.

NOAA and the Florida Coastal Management Program provided funding to support this effort.

Partners: City of Satellite Beach, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Sea Grant, Metroquest, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Data Models Sea Level Rise Exposure for Future Populations

In low-lying coastal areas, populations are rapidly growing and flooding incidents are increasing. Many predictive models do not take the increasing population numbers into consideration, which means projected risk could be higher than what is often reported.

The University of Georgia and Stetson University used NOAA Digital Coast data to model sea level rise with a population projection overlay. The team estimates that by 2100, three feet of sea level rise will affect an additional 4.2 million people, with Florida accounting for nearly half of the total at-risk population. A rise of six feet will affect 13.1 million people and include 25 counties more than the previous scenario. Florida’s Miami-Dade and Broward Counties alone account for more than a quarter of this number. Areas with catastrophic impacts include Tyrrell and Hyde Counties in North Carolina.

These valuable data are being used to inform climate adaptation plans throughout the coastal zone.

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/population-risk

Partners: Stetson University, University of Georgia

Improved Understanding of Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Leads to New Policies

Southeast Florida is one of the first areas in the continental U.S. to be impacted by sea level rise. When local governments sought data and information to assess and prepare for the problem, GIS practitioners from the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact were able to work with NOAA Office for Coastal Management experts to answer this need.

Elevation data from NOAA’s Digital Coast and the agency’s Sea Level Rise Viewer were used to create digital maps featuring sea level rise scenarios of 1, 2, and 3 feet for each Southeast Florida county. Counties used this information to perform vulnerability assessments for specific infrastructure using regionally consistent methods and create a report outlining impacts that may occur under each of the three scenarios. The resulting new policies and programs are helping these communities address sea level rise, adapt to its impact, and improve community resilience.

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/slr

Partners: Broward County, Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida International University, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management, Miami-Dade Information Technology Department, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Monroe County Growth Management, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Palm Beach County

Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning Guide

The Florida Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning Guide provides valuable resources for coastal communities. Topics include land use, economic recovery, funding sources, infrastructure, health and social services, and environmental impacts. The guide documents how six local governments successfully established a long-term post-disaster redevelopment plan.

The project was a partnership effort between the Florida Coastal Management Program, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Funds were provided through Section 309 of the CZMA, with additional grants leveraged from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The Florida Coastal Management Program also funded a web-based training video that provides advanced tools and best practices to help communities implement the resilience activities in their redevelopment plans. (2016)

Partners: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Coastal Management Program, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida Division of Emergency Management

Raising Awareness of Marine Debris Fosters Stewardship of Apalachicola Bay

Marine debris has a negative effect on both local and global ecosystems by degrading water quality, hampering fishery production, and putting critically endangered species, including sea turtles, at greater risk. The Apalachicola Bay research reserve hosted an exhibit titled “When Trash Meets the Sea,” which explored the impacts of trash on the marine environment and marine life, and most importantly, invited visitors to exchange plastic grocery bags for reusable cloth bags to reduce potential marine debris. The exhibit raised community awareness and provided people with tools to help them solve it. (2016)

More information: www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/apalachicola

Partners: Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Gulf Coast Conservation Corps Partnership Proves Beneficial for All

The Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast is a program that helps young adults gain valuable environmental work experience and education. The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve is a beneficiary of this effort. The cooperative partnership has constructed low-impact boardwalks to access hard-to-reach marsh survey sites, made improvements to the existing Apalachicola boardwalk trails, and conducted large-scale invasive plant removal. (2016)

More information: www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/apalachicola

Partners: Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Collier County Teachers Immerse Themselves in Estuarine Education at Rookery Bay

The Rookery Bay research reserve delivered Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshops to help educators around the state understand the issues impacting estuaries in Southwest Florida. During these workshops, teachers learned about water quality, invasive species, watershed management, and how to incorporate estuarine and watershed knowledge into classroom teaching. The goal is to raise student awareness of the connection between the ocean and their lives, improve student understanding of estuarine ecology, and foster a sense of stewardship for environmental resources. (2016)

More information: www.rookerybay.org

Partners: Collier County Public Schools, NOAA Bay Watershed Education Training Program, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Planning for Florida’s Rising Tides

A research project found that sea level rise has been less evident in the estuaries because of the absorption capability of the salt marsh. However, accelerated sea level rise over longer time frames would likely result in marshes that can no longer keep up and will “drown.”

The University of Florida and Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve led the effort to develop and test adaptation planning processes to save the estuary. In addition to the research, the project created a toolkit of diverse, flexible adaptation methods and resources applicable to a variety of situations. For example, GIS data and marsh migration modeling data are being used by Flagler County to see how sea level rise can be integrated into the county’s floodplain management plan. (2016)

More information: www.nerra.org/projects/planning-for-floridas-rising-tides

Partners: Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, University of Florida

Assessing Oyster Reef Conditions

The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve led the establishment of a new Oyster and Water Quality Task Force focused on the Northeast Florida region. Membership includes researchers, state and local agencies, fisherman, and others.

This task force assessed current conditions and developed strategies to ensure the sustainability of oyster habitat. Because of this work, partners are applying new methods for assessing and protecting oyster habitat. Globally, approximately 85 percent of oyster reefs have been lost to overharvesting and poor water quality, according to one 2011 report. The same report also says that more than 90 percent of oyster reefs have been lost in Chesapeake Bay and Georgia. (2016)

More information: https://sites.google.com/site/gtmoysterandwqtaskforce/

Partners: City of Palm Coast, City of St. Augustine, Florida Sea Grant, Florida’s Aquatic Preserves, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Matanzas Riverkeeper, St. Johns County, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience

Managing Freshwater for the Future

Population growth and sea level rise are taxing the freshwater needs of the Rookery Bay estuary. The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves designed a hydrologic model of the watershed to determine the impacts of potential land use and water management decisions. This project also generated freshwater management tools and resources that communities are using to better understand the freshwater flows needed to maintain estuarine health. (2016)

More information: www.nerra.org/projects/managing-freshwater-for-the-future-in-florida

Partners: City of Marco Island, Collier County, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Interflow Engineering, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Nova Southeastern University, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, South Florida Water Management District, Taylor Engineering

Apalachicola Research Reserve Programs Offer Helpful Results to Local Community

The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve provides valuable information and monitoring data for coastal decision makers.

Popular resources include a comprehensive resource library of over 6,000 documents related to the Apalachicola Bay, and a well-developed GIS with over 1,500 data layers and habitat maps. Organizations find the information helpful for a variety of projects. Emergency managers and the Coast Guard, for instance, used these data to develop their response to the Deepwater Horizon incident. The reserve expands the audience for these data by providing workshops, field exercises, and technology demonstration and training. (2016)

More information: www.apalachicolareserve.com

Partners: Apalachicola Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Fort Lauderdale Climate Adaptation Plan Approved

Fort Lauderdale was a pilot community in a National Coastal Zone Management Program initiative focused on preparing communities for sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Fort Lauderdale has taken on this resilience challenge. Its latest community investment plan lays out the city's commitment to invest public dollars in lessening both current and future sea level rise and flooding impacts. These investments include installing tidal valves and incorporating sea level rise projections into designs of new capital construction projects.

More information: http://gyr.fortlauderdale.gov/greener-government/climate-resiliency/innovative-pilot-projects/adaptation-action-areas

Partners: NOAA, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Broward County, South Florida Regional Planning Council

Insurance Industry Watching Southeastern Florida Climate Change Response

Since Southeast Florida is facing climate change impacts sooner than most, adaptation is critical—and already underway. The insurance industry is pointing to Southeast Florida as an example for others to follow.

Managers in the South Florida Water Management District are using 400-horsepower pumps capable of changing the direction of the Miami River, ensuring that the river always runs toward the ocean. In Miami Beach, officials are installing 80 underground pumps to deal with the increasingly frequent “sunny-day floods” caused by peak high tides. In Miami-Dade County, a program is underway to reseed mangroves behind the beaches to preserve this wetlands’ ability to soak up storm surge.

Rising saltwater has also gotten into the drinking water, causing the city of Hallandale Beach to abandon six of its eight wells. When South Florida’s shallow freshwater aquifer is diminished—as occurs during the drier winter months—seawater easily flows in through the porous limestone below ground. City and county officials have learned the importance of keeping the aquifer full to maintain a healthy supply of freshwater. (2016)

More information: www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/05/27/330045.htm

Partners: Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, South Florida Water Management District, City of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County

Citizen Scientists Play Key Role in Sea Turtle Nest Patrol and Outreach

Of six sea turtle species that nest on beaches in the continental United States, all are designated as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Over 90 percent of their nests are located on the beaches of Florida, where the state’s three national estuarine research reserves play a key role in conservation efforts by engaging volunteers.

Measuring nesting success rates requires repeatedly covering many miles of beach during the nesting season, a monumental task for sea turtle researchers. To alleviate the workload, each year the research reserves and other partners recruit more than 1,800 biologists, interns, and trained citizen science volunteers. These volunteers not only help to identify, mark, and monitor nests on 199 beaches, but they also provide critical outreach and education about sea turtle conservation through public interaction during the nesting surveys.

With the help of the hundreds of hours contributed by interns and citizen scientists, Florida’s three research reserves have monitored 1,270 nests this year.

• Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve saw a 67 percent increase in nests, with 202 nests total, including 17 rare green turtle nests.
• Rookery Bay Reserve increased from 550 nests in 2014, to 630 in 2015.
• Apalachicola Reserve identified 438 nests, including 424 Loggerhead and 14 green turtle nests.

“We are very pleased to see the sea turtle population increased this year within our managed areas,” said Kevin Claridge, director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Office. “There are many variables that can affect population numbers, but a key component to species management is good data, which in this case would not have been possible without so many excellent partnerships and volunteer hours.”

Partners: Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve