Scholar conducting analysis below the supervision of Dr. Razieh Farzad on cell-based seafood and aquaculture manufacturing on the College of Florida.
Florida Sea Grant’s analysis initiatives are awarded on a biennial foundation for 2 years following a rigorous assessment course of in accordance with the Nationwide Sea Grant Competitors Coverage. The competitors is designed to assist help this system’s utilized analysis and academic tasks drawing from fields associated to ocean and coastal assets. Supported analysis can span varied disciplines together with, pure or social sciences, engineering, planning and design, science communication, coverage and authorized evaluation, structure, enterprise, schooling, arts, and humanities.
This yr’s competitors awarded 8 initiatives as much as $200,000 every till 2026. The funded analysis initiatives help wholesome coastal ecosystems, resilient communities and economies, and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
The subjects addressed in Florida Sea Grant’s funded work intention to supply revolutionary options to rising and ongoing points in Florida. Our eight funded initiatives cowl a variety of subjects together with – dwelling shorelines, hurricane resilience, marine algae, inexperienced options, methane emissions, aquaculture, and crimson tide.
2024-2026 Awarded Analysis Initiatives
Dr. Carrie Adams, Affiliate Professor on the College of Florida, leads a mission enhancing dwelling shoreline (LSL) design and planting. Regardless of rising curiosity, restricted plant materials availability hinders implementation alongside the Atlantic US shoreline. The mission goals to develop seed-based steering by way of collaboration with nurseries, practitioners, hazard-prone communities, and college students. Knowledge assortment consists of FSG agent and nursery wants assessments, addressing plant materials challenges. The analysis explores seed-based manufacturing strategies, quantifying elevated plant provide advantages. This initiative guides ecosystem-based approaches for managers, contributing to coastal shoreline enhancement and restoration
Dr. Christopher Daly, Assistant Professor at Florida Gulf Coast College, leads a analysis mission assessing Hurricane Ian’s influence on the Southwest Florida coast and predicting future storm impacts. The mission focuses on Sanibel, Fort Myers Seashore, Naples, and Lovers Key State Park to tell coastal resilience selections. Ongoing knowledge assortment entails UAV-flown LiDAR and ground-penetrating radar, complemented by numerical modeling with XBeach. The analysis identifies susceptible coastal areas, guides resilience methods and administration selections, and shares findings with municipalities and the general public by way of workshops, aiming to safeguard the area’s socioeconomic well-being from future storm impacts
Dr. Nicolas DiLorenzo, Professor on the College of Florida, leads a analysis mission that explores the potential of marine algae as a sustainable protein supply for livestock, aiming to cut back enteric methane emissions and deal with challenges in meals manufacturing. Collaborating with business companions, Netuno, USA Inc. and Two Docks Shellfish, LLC, the analysis will assess algae’s viability by way of the cultivating and harvesting of algae within the Tampa Bay space, with the harvested macro algae present process in vitro incubations to simulate varied dietary results. Promising algae can be grown in managed situations earlier than testing on Angus crossbred heifers at NFREC, evaluating each efficiency and methane emissions. Algae-based feed components provide an opportunity for farmers to cut back greenhouse fuel emissions whereas sustaining livestock productiveness. Nevertheless, additional analysis is required to optimize formulations, assess long-term results, and deal with scalability and cost-effectiveness challenges.
Dr. Amal Elawady, Assistant Professor at Florida Worldwide College, leads a analysis mission addressing vulnerabilities in elevated properties to excessive winds, emphasizing challenges in design pointers and retrofitting current buildings. The mission introduces a community-guided engineering framework, fostering early-stage engagement with multi-sector stakeholders to grasp priorities, significantly in underrepresented and underdeveloped communities. Knowledgeable by neighborhood enter and wind tunnel testing research, the analysis goals to develop an economical architectural system that minimizes the influence of wind hazards on coastal elevated homes. The proposed experimental program additionally enhances lately printed design provisions for wind results on elevated coastal properties.
Dr. Razieh Farzad, Assistant Professor on the College of Florida and Seafood Security Extension Specialist for Florida Sea Grant, leads a analysis mission centered on enhancing sustainable native seafood manufacturing by using developments in mobile agriculture to create cell-cultured fishmeal with a dietary profile akin to marine-based fishmeal. Tilapia serves because the animal mannequin to evaluate the results of cell-cultured fishmeal on fish manufacturing. The mission additionally investigates aquaculture producers’ potential acceptance of this method. To guage sustainability implications, an evaluation will evaluate marine-based and cell-cultured fishmeal manufacturing strategies. Given the value instability of fishmeal and anticipated will increase in aquaculture manufacturing, this analysis affords insights into another protein supply for aquafeed manufacturing.
Dr. Michelle Gaither, Assistant Professor on the College of Central Florida, leads a analysis mission that advances monitoring methods for dangerous algal blooms in Florida. The state invested some huge cash to enhance monitoring and mitigation, however these efforts depend on precisely figuring out species. Current challenges, like new dangerous algal bloom (HAB) species, elevated distribution of problematic species, and simultaneous HAB occurrences, have made this identification troublesome. In collaboration between UCF and FWC/FWRI scientists, the analysis entails the event of an optimized molecular toolkit for the correct and environment friendly detection and quantification of HAB taxa throughout the state.
Dr. Kai Lorenzen, Professor on the College of Florida, leads a analysis mission that goals to develop good follow pointers to make scientific {and professional} steering obtainable to all stocking initiatives. Stocking is used for fisheries enhancement, nevertheless it typically falls in need of delivering vital advantages and might negatively have an effect on naturally recruited shares. Evaluating and managing stocking applications is essential. The mission goals to sort out this subject by making a community of marine enhancement scientists and practitioners. It entails gathering and synthesizing statewide marine stocking knowledge, creating user-friendly instruments for modeling, evaluation, and visualization to tell and assess stocking initiatives, and bettering knowledge assortment and evaluation protocols.
Dr. Prashant Singh, Assistant Professor at Florida State College, leads a analysis mission advancing fast seafood identification assays for on-site detection of commercially vital seafood species. Given the challenges of seafood misrepresentation in america, the analysis focuses on growing standardized assays examined at seafood processing amenities in collaboration with business consultants and processors. The research’s outcomes embrace the standardization and utility of assays for figuring out six essential Gulf species, similar to black grouper, crimson drum, crimson grouper, crimson snapper, yellowtail snapper, and royal crimson shrimp. These developments intention to safeguard the financial pursuits of home seafood stakeholders and foster collaboration between the business and academia.
For extra info on these and different ongoing Analysis and Program Growth initiatives, go to our newly launched mission explorer device.
