The following projects represent Florida Sea Grant’s 2010-2011 research portfolio in support of our strategic focus areas of seafood production and safety, sustainable and hazard resilient communities and healthy coastal ecosystems. Florida Sea Grant will fund each project at approximately $100,000 per year for two years.

1. Developing a long-term source of sea oats for dune re-nourishment (Cryopreservation of Florida Sea oats germplasm: A technology to ensuring long-term availability of site-specific genotypes for dune restoration.) Michael Kane, University of Florida.
   

   Coastal dunes protect landward property from wind and waves during storms, and their integrity is maintained by several native plants including Sea Grapes and Sea Oats. This research project, conducted by scientists at the University of Florida, will develop a commercially cost-effective technology to produce and maintain Sea Oats seeds for use in dune restoration. Associated extension and education projects will train user groups in the seed production and preservation methods, and dune restoration projects will be conducted with community volunteers in order to impart knowledge of the challenges, issues and science behind ecologically sound dune restoration to Florida residents.

2. Quantifying effects of reduced water flow on estuarine fish (Environmental controls on the dynamics of nursery habitat quality for estuarine-dependent fishes.) Kevin Craig, Florida State University.
   

   In many coastal rivers and estuaries, conflicts have developed between human needs for water and the needs of fish and other biota that live in those ecosystems. Most notable in Florida is the controversy about water withdrawal by urban areas in Georgia in the Apalachicola-Chatahoochee-Flint River Basin, and impacts downstream in Alabama and Florida. This research project, conducted by scientists at Florida State University, will quantify how juvenile estuary-dependent fish are affected by variations in water flow to Apalachicola Bay, thereby providing critical information on downstream impacts needed to resolve the address this complex regional water use issue.

3. Quantifying interior damage to residential structures from hurricanes (Development of test-based hurricane-induced  building interior damage and loss of contents data for improved risk mapping.) Arindam Chowdhury, Florida International University.
   

   Accurate prediction of property damage from hurricanes is critical to assessing risk and valuating insurance policies, but current models used by that industry do not adequately consider damages to the interior of the property. Researchers at Florida International University will use their ‘Wall of Wind’ hurricane simulator to quantify impacts of hurricane wind and rain to drywall, flooring, and other interior structures, and work with the industry to re-calibrate the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model. The research project engages a wide spectrum of end-users from industry and agencies and will result in considerably more realistic vulnerability models that are necessary for effective risk prediction, mitigation, and more resilient coastal communities.

4. Strengthening residential roofs against hurricane force winds (Structural retrofit for extreme winds of aged wood residential roofs using spray-applied adhesives.) David Prevatt, University of Florida.
   

   Many older homes in Florida do not have roofs that can withstand hurricane force winds. There is a potential fix for this problem with a relatively low cost spray adhesive product, but its strength and resistance to moisture have not been adequately tested. University of Florida researchers will test the durability of spray-applied polyurethane foam adhesives under simulated hurricane wind and rain conditions. The investigators will work closely with the building industry and state regulatory agencies. If found to be effective, spray adhesives may be a low cost solution to protect older homes, and could save hundreds of millions of dollars in hurricane damage along our nation’s coasts.

5. Developing tools for sustainable management of fisheries (Ecosystem-based fishery management: An interdisciplinary approach to evaluating grouper harvest policies.) Mike Allen, University of Florida.
   

   Many of Florida’s prized fisheries are at risk from over-fishing and managers are actively seeking ways to protect the populations while not unduly impacting businesses, economies and jobs. In this project, researchers from the University of Florida are partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to evaluate different methods to sustainably manage stocks of economically important sport fish in the Gulf of Mexico. The researchers will use state-of-art modeling tools to explore the ecological and economic impacts of different harvest policies for Grouper, including seasonal closures, fishing quotas, and length limits on the fishery. If successful, the same approach can be applied to other reef dwelling fishes off the Florida coast.

6. Developing a new product for Florida's aquaculture industry (Eliminating barriers to commercial production of Sunray Venus clams in Florida through enhanced hatchery production, growout site selection, and definition of product attributes.) John Scarpa, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University; Leslie Sturmer, University of Florida/IFAS.
   

   The Florida hard clam industry employs over 560 people and generates $25 million in annual income however it presently is based on a single species of clam, a risky situation for any agricultural producer. Researchers at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the University of Florida aim to diversify the industry with a new product, the Sunray Venus Clam. This research represents the final stage of a multi-year project, which first developed the methods to culture and grow the clams, and now will work with producers to optimize product output and quality, and with area restaurants to identify the scope of the market and reasonable pricing. These tasty red clams, fresh from Florida waters, may soon be on a restaurant plate near you!

7. Rapid detection of seafood product fraud (Grouper forensics for seafood quality control.) John Paul, University of South Florida.
   

   Product substitution is a serious issue for the nation’s seafood industry. At a time when the price of fish like Grouper should be high, it is being driven down by cheap substituted foreign fish such as Tilapia. This places a burden on our commercial fishers and defrauds consumers who think they are buying locally-caught high quality fish. University of South Florida researchers will develop a rapid test device that can be used by restaurants, retail and wholesale seafood operations to determine if fish labeled as Grouper is the real article. If successful the device can be commercially developed, broadened in scope to look at other species, and potentially create new small businesses and jobs.

8. Rapid testing of oyster product safety (Implementation of Vibrio monitoring methods needed to sustain Florida coastal communities.) Anita Wright, University of Florida.
   

   Gulf of Mexico oysters are prized for their outstanding texture and taste, and the oyster fishery is an economic engine of certain Florida coastal communities. Florida Sea Grant has a long history of working with the oyster industry to ensure that in addition to high quality, the product is safe for consumers. This research project, conducted by scientists at the University of Florida, will develop a more rapid and lower cost test than currently is available for detecting Vibrio, the bacterial pathogen that is of greatest concern from a public health standpoint for consumption of raw oysters. Oyster processors will be informed of the results through workshops at the Oyster Industry Laboratory in Apalachicola and through the annual UF Oyster School.

In addition, researchers from Florida universities are co-investigators of research projects funded by the Gulf of Mexico Regional Natural Hazard and Climate Change Resiliency Research and Outreach Program. The program is a funding initiative among the four Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant programs, the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Program, the NOAA Northern Gulf Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey to address research questions identified in the Gulf of Mexico Regional Research Plan.

1. A parameterized climate change projection model for hurricane flooding, wave action, economic damages, and population dynamics. Jennifer Irish, Texas A&M University, PI; Dawn Jourdan, University of Florida, Zhong Ren Peng, University of Florida.


2. Implications of Takings Law on innovative planning for sea-level rise in the Gulf of Mexico. Stephanie Showalter, University of Mississippi, PI; Thomas Ruppert, University of Florida.