Name
Building Resilient Seagrass Communities in Florida: Advancing Technology and Strategy for a 10-Year Restoration Vision
Date & Time
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Rebecca Prado
Description

Florida’s iconic seagrass beds—vital for biodiversity, water quality, and coastal resilience—are under increasing threat. In response, a comprehensive catalog of active restoration efforts has been compiled to inform the development of the 10-Year Resilient Florida Seagrass Restoration Plan. This initiative, led collaboratively by Mote Marine Laboratory, the Florida Aquatic Preserve Program, and the University of Florida, with support from Moffatt & Nichol, represents a statewide push to scale restoration through innovation. With funding support from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection under the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative, this presentation will highlight current restoration and management activities, share lessons learned from practitioners, and unveil the strategic framework to guide implementation. A key milestone—the launch of Florida’s first geospatial database of seagrass restoration projects—will be presented as a tool to accelerate use of genetic resilience in restoration, practitioner coordination, technique/data transparency, and impact across agencies and ecosystems.

 

Location Name
203A
Is presenter a student?
No