Project Explorer Archive - Florida Sea Grant

Mitigating Livestock Methane Emissions with Marine Algae

This study explores the potential of marine algae as a sustainable protein source for livestock, aiming to reduce enteric methane emissions and address challenges in food production. Collaborating with industry partners, the research will assess algae’s viability through in vitro and livestock trials, with the goal of offering farmers an opportunity to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining livestock productivity, ultimately advancing sustainable agriculture and empowering coastal communities.

Detecting Harmful Algae with Metabarcoding

Through collaboration between UCF and FWC/FWRI scientists, this project aims to develop a molecular toolkit to enhance HAB detection and quantification statewide, ultimately advancing monitoring strategies and improving coastal community resilience.

Aquaculture-Aided Enhancement & Restoration of Florida’s Recreational Fisheries

Marine recreational fishing in Florida, involving millions of participants and generating billions in economic impact annually, faces threats from environmental degradation and fishing pressure. While stocking hatchery-reared fish is a common management measure, its effectiveness varies, highlighting the need for careful assessment and management. This project aims to establish a network of scientists and practitioners to enhance stocking initiatives through improved data analysis, modeling tools, and guidelines, ultimately maximizing positive outcomes while minimizing negative impacts on fisheries and ecosystems.

Enhancing Coastal Community Resilience Post-Hurricane Ian

This project aims to assess the impact of Hurricane Ian on the Southwest Florida coast and predict future storm impacts through geomorphological analysis and numerical modeling. Focused on Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Naples, and Lovers Key State Park, the project will engage municipal officials to determine future scenarios, ultimately informing management decisions to increase resilience along the coast and minimize impacts on businesses and socioeconomically challenged populations.

The Right Plants for the Job

This project aims to enhance coastal restoration and protection by bolstering the capacity for designing and planting living shorelines. By addressing limitations in plant material availability and sourcing restrictions, the project will investigate seed-based production methods, develop guidance, and train students, ultimately benefiting coastal ecosystems and communities throughout Florida and the Atlantic US coastline.

Innovations in Equitable Technology for Wind Load Mitigation

Florida’s extensive coastline makes it vulnerable to weather-related hazards. Recent hurricanes have exposed vulnerabilities in elevated homes to extreme winds, highlighting challenges in design guidelines and retrofitting existing structures. This proposal seeks to address these challenges by introducing a community-guided engineering framework, collaborating with stakeholders to develop cost-effective architectural solutions to enhance coastal community resilience against future wind events.

Alternative Aquafeed Proteins for Sustainable Farmed-Raised Seafood

Seafood, rich in nutrients, is crucial for food security and economic development, yet its supply faces challenges from resource depletion and climate change. To support sustainable seafood production, this project aims to use cellular agriculture to produce fishmeal as an alternative to marine-based sources, studying its effects on fish production and assessing its acceptance among aquaculture producers.

PCR Lateral Flow Assays for Rapid Onsite Seafood Authentication

Seafood misrepresentation poses a significant challenge in the United States, particularly impacting grouper, snapper, and shrimp species, thus undermining the domestic seafood industry. To address this issue, a rapid onsite identification method using RNase H-dependent PCR coupled lateral flow (rhPCR-LF) assays is proposed, aiming to provide industry-friendly testing solutions within two hours, thus safeguarding the economic interests of domestic seafood stakeholders and fostering industry-academia collaboration.

Sponge Enhancement and Restoration in Florida

This proposal aims to restore and enhance sponge-dominated habitats off the coast of Tarpon Springs, Florida, leveraging funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Florida Sea Grant Program to support student involvement and foster resilient marine ecosystems, ultimately benefiting local fishing communities.

Increasing knowledge of Biscayne Bay’s science status and trends

Biscayne Bay is a crucial and diverse ecosystem, but it faces rapid changes due to increasing disturbances, both natural and human-induced. To address these challenges, initiatives are underway to consolidate data and expertise, aiming to enhance understanding and develop monitoring strategies for the bay’s ecological and physicochemical patterns and processes.

Anthropogenic Sound and Bivalve Behavior

In response to growing concerns about anthropogenic sound’s impact on marine organisms, particularly in aquaculture settings, this project aims to investigate its effects on bivalve behavior and physiology across different life stages. With limited understanding of how laboratory and coastal sounds influence bivalve activities and ecosystem services provision.

Return ‘Em Right Impacts

The “Return ‘Em Right” program aims to educate fishers about barotrauma, reduce discard mortality, and evaluate program effectiveness, with a focus on promoting the use of fish descending devices (FDD). Given the diverse nature of Gulf of Mexico fishers and the variety of species targeted, the research seeks to integrate data from program activities to tailor outreach materials and address the varied needs and preferences of fishers participating in the program.

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