Corralling Connections
Florida Sea Grant Guy Harvey Foundation Fellows (Alexis Mitchem & Susannah Cogburn) with Dr. Guy Harvey at ICAST, in Orlando, Florida.
Florida Sea Grant hosted two inaugural symposiums this year, and attended the world’s largest sportfishing trade show!
The year began with the Research Symposium, which highlighted Florida Sea Grant’s role in addressing key focus areas such as Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Resilient Communities and Economies, and Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture. The event brought together the Florida Sea Grant team—including UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant extension agents, specialists, affiliated researchers, and a cohort of funded students—for the first time in years.
The Flooding Symposium addressed the critical issue of flooding in Florida’s coastal and inland areas. This event facilitated the exchange of academic research and practical approaches to mitigate flooding, while fostering collaboration among stakeholders from diverse sectors. Attendees participated in keynotes, presentations, panel discussions, and interactive activities on topics such as nature-based solutions, infrastructure, policy, and economics. Over 126 were in attendance, representing six U.S. states and two international countries (Canada and Australia).
Florida Sea Grant made a debut appearance at ICAST this year. As first timers at the premier showcase for innovations in the sportfishing industry, we promoted sustainable angling programs and practices including Florida Friendly Anger, Florida Friendly Fishing Guides, scallop sorters, bycatch reduction devices (BRD’s), fish rulers, dehooking tools, and student resources. Our 2024 Florida Sea Grant Guy Harvey Fellows, Alexis Mitchem and Susannah Cogburn, had the special opportunity to accompany the Sea Grant team and connect with hundreds of passionate anglers, including Dr. Guy Harvey himself!
Student Absorbs Community Knowledge
CEI student, Sofia Cordoba (pictured left) with Stetson student, Phoenix Medley, learning how to read the water level gauge at the bioswale. Picture by Sofia Cordoba.
Sofia Cordoba, an undergraduate student at the University of Central Florida, was selected as Florida Sea Grant’s first-ever Community Engaged Intern (CEI), a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Sea Grant’s efforts to training and mentorship to the next generation of scientists, decision-makers, and citizens.
In her CEI role, Sofia created communication materials on green stormwater infrastructure, including bioswale implementation, and educating volunteers and residents on flooding management projects in local governments. The green stormwater infrastructure project is part of a regional resiliency initiative involving several Sea Grant programs, universities, and agencies from states in the southeast Atlantic.
“Hosting a CEI student within Florida Sea Grant is an important step to engage undergraduate students in learning about coastal and marine professions and the importance of working with community stakeholders on coastal issues,” said Holly Abeels, Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS Extension Agent in Brevard County and CEI internship supervisor.
Step into the day-in-the-life with Florida Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Intern (CEI) Sofia Cordoba, as she dives into her internship at the City of Cape Canaveral. Watch reel here.
Casting a Wider Net
Adaptability has been a core value of Florida Sea Grant. With a shifting demographic and population, it is important our program supports diverse audiences in Florida. In response, the Florida Friendly Angler and Return ‘Em Right program launched the Spanish language version of their training program.
Florida Sea Grant, UF/IFAS Extension, and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), have developed the Florida Friendly Angler En Español Course, offering fully-narrated lessons covering topics on best catch and release practices, environmental ethics, and fisheries management. The Florida Friendly Fishing certification programs received the 2024 Superior Outreach Programming Teams Award (SOPA) at National Sea Grant Week. This award recognizes the Florida Friendly Fishing Guide (FFFG) and Florida Friendly Angler (FFA) courses for promoting sustainable fishing practices and honoring outstanding leadership, teamwork, and outreach impact by Sea Grant extension personnel.
Florida’s red snapper season opened June 1, and with it came the release of a new tool to help anglers sustain the species’ population for years to come: a Spanish-language edition of Return ‘Em Right’s online education module.
Locally-Sourced Products
Florida Sea Grant’s collaboration with partners across the state has led to innovation of new and improved tools and products.
