FY 2010 expenditures: $670,109

FY 2011 budget: $885,463

FY 2012 budget: $1,034,930

We count on the oceans for the air we breathe and the food they provide, but with 95 percent of the seas still unexplored, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what marine ecosystems can provide and teach us. Nevertheless it is increasingly apparent that the oceans are not an infinite resource, and that in order to take advantage of all they have to offer, we need to be more careful about what we put into and take from them.

As enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida, funds from the Save Our Seas specialty license plate can be used to:

• conduct scientific research and education on marine plants and animals and coastal oceanography in state marine waters
• collect and analyze long-term data sets on the state's critical marine habitats
• determine changes in populations and communities of marine organisms and their impacts on the use of the state's marine resources
• maintain reference collections of scientific specimens and photographic archives of the state's marine plants and animals
• conduct scientific conferences of relevance to the state's marine resources and their management, utilization and conservation

Postdoctoral Investigators

For many researchers, the first career step after earning a doctorate degree is the postdoctoral fellowship – a temporary appointment that provides early-career scientists and engineers with the opportunity to begin exploring their fields, and sponsoring institutions with fresh energy and perspective that can help advance science. Three 2010-2012 FAU-Harbor Branch postdoctoral investigators have received Save Our Seas license plate funding support: Dr. Mikki McComb, who examined the effects of habitat degradation in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) on visual performance of coastal marine fishes with mentors Dr. Tammy Frank (Nova Southeastern) and Dr. Steven Kajiura (FAU); Dr. Georgios Kallifatidis, who is working with the FAU-Harbor Branch collection of marine natural products to find compounds that aid pancreatic cancer treatment with mentors Dr. Esther Guzmán (FAU-Harbor Branch) and Dr. Vijaya Iragavarapu-Charyulu (FAU); and Dr. Gero Nootz, who is working to advance underwater laser imaging as a next-generation ocean exploration tool with mentors Dr. Fraser Dalgleish (FAU-Harbor Branch) and Dr. William Rhodes (FAU).

Three 2011-2013 postdoctoral investigators also will be supported by Save Our Seas.

FY 2012 funding: $413,400

Indian River Lagoon Observatory Projects

The Indian River Lagoon Observatory (IRLO): Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function of an Estuary in Transition

Principal investigator: Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D.

Co-principal investigators: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., Susan Laramore, Ph.D., Peter McCarthy, Ph.D., Greg O’Corry-Crowe, Ph.D., Adam Schaefer and Amy Wright, Ph.D.

IRLO is a new, long-term, ecosystem-based program designed to address emerging issues of environmental heath in the IRL system by achieving a better understanding of the biodiversity and ecological functions of the lagoon and how they are impacted by the surrounding human population. IRLO will consolidate decades of Harbor Branch IRL research and begin to add new data and knowledge on the ecological function and sustainable management of the IRL. This two-year project will establish the comprehensive IRL database and initiate the Indian River Lagoon Symposium, an annual forum for IRL research and management to narrow gaps between research and applications. IRLO will be a signature program for FAU research, education, outreach and development efforts.

 FY 2012 funding: $75,000; FY 2013 funding: $100,000

The Ecology and Nutrition of Macroalgal Blooms in the Indian River Lagoon

Principal investigator: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.

Co-principal investigator: Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D.

Because the IRL has a limited number of oceanic inlets, water can remain within the inner basins for a year or more. Increased water residence times coupled with significant freshwater and nutrient inputs from land-based discharges of sewage, municipal stormwater and agricultural runoff enhance the potential for macroalgal bloom formation. Historically, macroalgae have not been a major component of IRL seagrass communities, but today macroalgae blooms are commonly seen at approximately three times the seagrass biomass. This two-year project focuses on field studies to better understand the composition, seasonal abundance and nutrient source(s) of the blooms. Researchers will trace potential sources of nutrients and identify and map areas of high nutrient input in an easily-interpreted format that local, state and federal managers can consult when drafting nutrient criteria and reduction plans.

FY 2012 funding: $100,000; FY 2012 funding: $100,000

A Collaborative Study of Bacterial Contamination of the Indian River Lagoon

Principal investigator: Peter McCarthy, Ph.D.

Co-principal investigator: Adam Schaefer

This two-year project is designed to study two distinct microbial populations in the IRL: indicator species common to contaminated waters, such as fecal coliforms, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with marine mammals. The first year will be used to develop assessment methods and to initiate studies on the presence of indicator species at established long-term study sites. Year one also will include epidemiological research of antibiotic resistance in marine mammals and study of these pathogens in water and sediment samples collected from the 20 long-term study sites in the Central IRL. The second year will include continued data collection and correlation of findings with those of other IRL researchers to build on existing knowledge of the IRL and coastal waters, and to develop new collaborations and research programs. The work is intended to help reveal sources of IRL contamination and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus empowering efforts to minimize pollution and safeguard human health.

FY 2012 funding: $40,000; FY 2013 funding: $40,000; also supported by the Protect Wild Dolphins specialty license plate

Seagrass Communities along a Water Quality Gradient in the Central Indian River Lagoon

Principal investigator: Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D.

Seagrass plays a critical role in species diversity and biological productivity within the IRL. Seagrass decline in the IRL has been largely attributed to unfavorable water quality and resulting decrease in water clarity. Dr. Hansiak’s water quality monitoring and study of seagrass and resident organisms in the Central IRL shows that size of seagrass beds, seagrass cover and abundance, and organism diversity and abundance all increase away from freshwater discharges. Furthermore, seagrass cover and biomass significantly increase following periods of improved water quality and higher light penetration associated with drought conditions. This project will characterize these interactions more fully, and maintain and transition this research to become part of IRLO.

FY 2012 funding: $50,000

High-Frequency Water Quality Monitoring in Central Indian River Lagoon: Establishing a Baseline

Principal investigator: Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D. 

Water quality in the IRL has changed significantly over the past eight decades due to watershed alteration and land drainage patterns. High-frequency water quality monitoring in the IRL between northern Vero Beachand Fort Pierce is an established component of Dr. Hanisak’s research. Temperature, salinity, pH, color and suspended solids are among the variables measured continuously or weekly, revealing location-based variations. The magnitude of these patterns varies considerably from year to year due to variability in precipitation and freshwater discharge into the lagoon. These data can be used to develop models of climate change and of expected positive improvements in estuarine health following the reduction of freshwater inputs, recognized as the most significant human impact on this estuary. This project will maintain the IRL monitoring effort and begin to establish it as a key component of IRLO.

FY 2012 funding: $50,000

Other Projects

Estuarine Impacts on St. Lucie Reef: Determining the Effects of Changing Resource Management on Florida’s Northernmost Coral Reef

Principal investigator: Joshua Voss, Ph.D.

Co-principal investigators: Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D., and Sara Edge, Ph.D.

Conservation and protection of South Florida’s coral reef communities depend on creation of sound resource management strategies, which require improved understanding of the effects of human activities including coastal development and releases of freshwater and potential pollutants. Improvements to the St. Lucie Estuary as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan are likely to dramatically alter the quantity and quality of freshwater influencing the St. Lucie Reef, which is the northern limit of many tropical coral reef species and serves as habitat for numerous fish species of both commercial and recreational importance. This two-year project will integrate existing data with ongoing assessments to yield an in-depth ecological evaluation of both the short- and long-term impacts of freshwater discharge on the health and resilience of St. Lucie Reef coral and algal communities. The goal is to provide information for enhanced adaptive management in ongoing and proposed regional restoration and conservation efforts throughout South Florida and beyond.

FY 2012 funding: $100,000; FY 2013 funding: $100,000

Molecular Responses of Sponges in Response to Environmental Stressors

Principal investigator: Sara Edge, Ph.D.

Co-principal investigator: Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D.

Given the ecological and economic importance of reef ecosystems in Florida, understanding the impacts of disturbances such as oil spills and climate change on reef health is critical for developing management strategies to reduce or mitigate damage. This two-year project specifically addresses the effects of toxicity and temperature stress on marine sponges and seeks to develop molecular biomarkers indicative of sponge health. Experiments will include a quantitative assessment of sponge responses to oil, dispersant and temperature stress that will identify the molecular mechanisms of sub-lethal responses and measure the impacts of these disturbances on sponge health. The goal of this research is to understand these responses and provide information on sponge health to resource managers to mitigate damage and enhance sustainability.

FY 2012 funding: $62,261; FY 2013 funding: $53,747

Environmental Correlates of Habitat use by Manatees in the Harbor Branch Channel using Advanced Technologies

Principal investigator: Marilyn Mazzoil

Co-principal investigators: Larry Taylor, Bill Baxley, Dan Boggess, Jim Masterson, Ph.D. and Greg O’Corry-Crowe, Ph.D.

Manatees are a Florida icon whose habitat has been radically altered by human dredging of canals, seagrass bed destruction and creation of artificial warm-water habitat. Manatees appear particularly sensitive to water temperature fluctuation, with the projected loss of warm-water sources (i.e., power plants) on the one hand and the devastating effects of winter cold fronts on the other. This has contributed to the species being listed as threatened and “having a very high risk of extinction.” Preliminary evidence indicates that the Harbor Branch canal, which branches from the IRL, plays a vital role as a thermal refuge, with more than 100 manatees congregating there during 2010-11 winter cold fronts. A collaboration of scientists, engineers and educators, this two-year project will develop an integrated system of photo identification and remote sensing techniques to continuously monitor manatee behavior and habitat. A public education exhibit at the Harbor Branch Ocean Discovery Center will be created using the data.

FY 2012 funding: $50,000; FY 2013 funding: $50,000

Long-Term Nutrient Monitoring of Coral Reef and Seagrass Communities in the Florida Keys

Principal investigator: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.

Long-term monitoring at Looe Key in the lower Florida Keys by Harbor Branch researchers has established the longest low-level nutrient record for a coral reef anywhere in the world. Specialty license plate funding has enabled analyses of data from the early 1990s to the present revealing correlations between land-based nutrient discharges and conditions (e.g., elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorous) that are favorable to reef-suffocating algae growth and coral disease and die-off. Research conducted between 2008 and 2010 indicates nutrient levels that are above “tipping points” for coral reefs. This project sustains the Looe Key monitoring and expands the program to include study of the effects of nutrient enrichment and harmful algal blooms on wading bird ecology in tidal flat communities at Upper Harbor Key in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge.

FY 2012 funding: $50,000

Molecular Responses of Coral Larvae to Ultraviolet Radiation, Elevated Temperature, and Decreased Salinity

Principal investigator: Sara Edge, Ph.D. 

Global and local disturbances, such as climate change and pollution from runoff, are threatening long-term survival of coral reef ecosystems. These stressors have contributed to a decline in coral reefs worldwide, with 80% loss of coral cover in Florida and the Caribbean since the 1970s. Coral larvae are an important source of recruitment for reef populations, yet are sensitive to environmental changes. This project will characterize responses of coral larvae at the molecular level to sublethal stressors influenced by climate change, such as salinity, UV radiation and sea surface temperature. These data will enable future diagnoses of stressed populations to aid in the implementation of adaptive management strategies for the mitigation of local disturbances that threaten coral reefs. 

FY 2012 funding: $40,000

Electroreception and Visual Adaptations of an Apex Predator, the Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas), to Different Sensory Environments – The Indian River Lagoon and the Open Ocean

Principal investigator: Tamara Frank, Ph.D.

Co-principal investigator: Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D.

This project, an essential component of FAU Ph.D. graduate student Gabby Barbarite's research, will investigate two sensory systems of the bull shark, an important local apex predator. Bull sharks are unique in their ability to thrive in a wide variety of habitats, with juveniles inhabiting the relatively cloudy and less salty IRL, and adults living primarily in coastal waters with higher salinities and much greater clarity. First, the electrosensory abilities of juvenile bull sharks will be studied to determine how water salinity variation impacts their use of electrical fields to capture prey. Second, the visual systems of IRL juveniles and adults from coastal waters will be studied to determine whether there are age-related changes in visual sensitivity that optimize visual performance in these two very different habitats. Beyond determining the sensory capabilities of a local apex predator, this work will enable researchers to model adaptation (or lack of adaptation) to varying habitat conditions resulting from man-made water quality degradation.

FY 2012 funding: $2,000