Coastal waters around the world represent less
than 10 percent of the ocean's surface, yet they account for 50 percent of
its biological productivity. People make extensive use of coastal areas and
their productivity.
Charlotte County’s coastal habitats shield our coastline from damage by
storms, provide food and shelter for 80% to 90% of all commercial and
recreational fish and shellfish species, support an active marine economy,
and attract new permanent residents to the County. We value our coastal
ecosystems, but we also put pressure on them.
We manage dredging, sewage inputs and other obvious pressures far better now
than in the past, but we have only begun to deal with impacts from
stormwater and other diffuse sources of pollution.
Floridians recognize the importance of water quality, and they ranked it as
their second most important issue in a recent survey of environmental
concerns.
In response, fostering a shared, science-based understanding of coastal
systems represents a key goal of the Florida Sea Grant College Program.
We achieve this through research on the ecology of habitats and their
restoration, on sources, transport and fate of materials entering our
coastal waters, and on best management practices and communication of
science and science-based management. |
Biotech
Mangroves
Marine Access
Marine Ecology
Rip Currents
Seagrasses
Water Quality
Watersheds |
