The balance between sustaining economic viability while protecting coastal resources is complicated by an increase in Florida's recreational boating and other water-related activities.

Related Content UF Law: Waterways and Waterfronts Southwest Florida Anchorage Inventory Clean Boating Partnership

These diverse and often competing uses of coastal resources have increased the number and intensity of user conflicts. For instance, the decline in public waterway access to recreational boaters, major contributors to Florida's economy, is a particularly contentious issue.

Florida Sea Grant has developed a vibrant and productive program to address the diverse boating needs
and issues that face Florida and the nation. With its partners, Sea Grant aims to achieve an acceptable balance among environmental sustainability, recreational small-craft use, and growth in coastal communities through science-based research and extension. An operating principle is that self-regulation is an effective management framework to reduce regulatory costs, keep boating and its support industries economically productive, and reduce environmental impacts from boating.

This innovative and award-winning program blends research and outreach to develop products and solutions that serve boaters, the marine industry, resource managers, and policy makers. A key to program success has been the collaborative partnerships established with a diversity of organizations.

Some of the many products and activities developed with our partners in the past include:

Regional Waterway Management System
Historical Analysis of Southwest Florida Waterways
Mapping and Characterizing Recreational Boating Activity