FLORIDA OCEANS &COASTAL RESOURCESCOUNCILINVESTING IN FLORIDA’S COASTAL &Introduction
Florida is the only continental state largely surroundedby coastal seas and oceans. Our waters deﬁne ourborders and our quality of life. Now, more than everbefore, Floridians recognize how individual and regional
decisions can impact the oceans as a whole. By sharing
our collective resources - the best available science,the expertise of hundreds of scientists and resource
managers and our collective commitment – we can better
protect the health of our complex ecosystems and secure
an underwater legacy for future generations.
Florida’s economy and population are growing daily.
Protecting Florida’s marine resources, today andtomorrow, requires accurate assessment, continuous
monitoring and real-time ability to predict changes
to the physical, chemical, biological, geological andsocioeconomic components of our marine ecosystems.
It also requires a fully-integrated information handlingsystem to allow resource managers to use current andfuture data in decision making.

Florida’s economy is heavily dependent on its oceans
and shoreline:••••

Florida’s shoreline Gross State Product (GSP) is
more than $402 billion, two and a half times thenearly $160 billion of its’ inland economy.
Ocean tourism and recreation for the next decade is
projected to grow by 73 percent, creating more than
268,000 new jobs.
Florida’s coastal counties increased employment by
31 percent, wages by 48 percent and the GSP by 63
percent.
Florida’s GSP for transportation and recreation is oneof the top ﬁve in the nation, a signiﬁcant inﬂuence on
the ocean economy.
Florida’s recreationaland commercialﬁshing industries
inject more than
$8 billion into local
communities aroundthe state.

2

The Future...
Florida’s goal is to conserve our ocean and coastal
resources while generating economic beneﬁts from theiruse. Achieving success relies on using creative public
and private partnerships, pursuing opportunities toleverage funds, involving our universities and researchlaboratories and coordinating our efforts with local, stateand federal agencies.
Water Quality
With an economy driven by our environment, maintaining
water quality to support coral reefs, grass beds, ﬁshingand beach activities must be a high priority.
Water Quality Research Priorities:
1. Real-time statewide data that guides water quality
management, navigation and hazard response, andmarine resource management.
2. Monitoring that relates nutrients and living resources
to human activities, provides cost effective resource
management programs to improve water quality andprotect human health.
3. Harmful algal bloom research to protect tourism,
commercial and recreational ﬁsheries and inform
watershed management for betterocean health.

Ocean and Coastal Ecosystems
Florida’s beaches and near shore coastal waters
draw more than 33 million tourists to Florida eachyear, contributing more than $56 billion and more than
900,000 jobs to the economy. Having a comprehensive
understanding of our marine ecosystem through the useof reliable baseline information is critical to supporting
management decisions.
Ocean and Coastal Ecosystems Research Priorities:
1. Map and characterize the seaﬂoor and coast
including the distribution and abundance patterns ofcoastal marine organisms.
2. Measure natural and manmade habitat loss andassociated economic impacts.
3. Understand linkages between ocean and coastalhabitats and the living marine resources that theysupport.
4. Evaluate, improve and implement effective strategies
for protecting and restoring ocean and coastal
habitats.

The
mangrovecommunity
plays animportantrole inFlorida’s
ecosystem,
serving as
feeding,breeding,and nursery
grounds fora variety ofﬁsh, birds andother wildlife.

4Tools and Technology
Fulﬁlling Florida’s need to observe and predict
environmental change and the response of its coastal
waters will require two components.
Tools and Technology Research Priorities:
1. Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems:a mix of in-water platforms and buoys, shipboard
surveys and remote sensing is required forcontinuous monitoring of water quality and statusof marine resources. The goal is to create aninterdisciplinary observing system that spans from theouter shelf to coastal estuaries and rivers.
2. Integrated Data Management and Prediction:
coordinated collection, handling, quality control,
sharing and interpretation of research and monitoringdata are critical to improving the state’s resourcemanagement. Centralized coordination of model
development to provide prediction, web distribution ofpredictions and real-time web-based information areneeded to accommodate management decisions.
Florida is the only state mostly
surrounded by two oceans -- thesparkling turquoise waters of the
Gulf of Mexico and the deep azure
waters of the Atlantic Ocean,home to the third largest coral reef
system in the world.

Conclusion

Our oceans hold 97 percent of the
Earth’s water, drive climate andweather, generate more than 70
percent of the oxygen we breathe,supply our fresh water throughrain, provide food, and are a deep
source of inspiration to many.
Working together across local,
state and international borders,
Florida is further demonstrating its
commitment to protecting a mostremarkable treasure – the world’soceans.

6FLORIDA OCEANS & COASTALRESOURCES COUNCIL
The Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council envisions the bountiful ocean andcoastal resources of Florida as a perpetual life-support system and the foundation of
our economy and society.
The Council will promote innovative research and the use of scientiﬁc results to guidemanagement and stewardship of Florida’s ocean and coastal resources for future
generations.
The Council will support the enhancement of Florida’s academic and marine research
institutions into an integrated network, cooperating and partnering with publicagencies, industries, environmental organizations and citizens.
Florida will be an internationally-recognized leader in marine science and ecosystembased management.

Produced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, MS 235
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000
Phone: 850.245.2094
www.FloridaOceansCouncil.org