140(2) 141RESEARCH PLAN.143-144The council must complete a Florida Oceans and Coastal Scientific Research Plan which shall be used by the Legislature in making funding decisions. The plan must recommend priorities for scientific research projects. Annual updates to the plan must be submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1 of each year. The research projects contained in the plan must meet at least one of the following objectives:220(a) 221Exploring opportunities to improve coastal ecosystem functioning and health through watershed approaches to managing freshwater and improving water quality.
240(b) 241Evaluating current habitat conservation, restoring and maintaining programs, and recommending improvements in the areas of research, monitoring, and assessment.
260(c) 261Promoting marine biomedical or biotechnology research and product discovery and development to enhance Florida’s opportunity to maximize the beneficial uses of marine-derived bioproducts and reduce negative health impacts of marine organisms.
292(d) 293Creating consensus and strategies on how Florida can contribute to sustainable management of ocean wildlife and habitat.
310(e) 311Documenting through examination of existing and new research the impact of marine and coastal debris and current best practices to reduce debris.
333(f) 334Providing methods to achieve sustainable fisheries through better science, governance, stock enhancements and consideration of habitat and secondary impacts such as bycatch.
356(g) 357Documenting gaps in current protection strategies for marine mammals.
366(h) 367Promoting research and new methods to preserve and restore coral reefs and other coral communities.
382(i) 383Achieving sustainable marine aquaculture.
387(j) 388Reviewing existing and ongoing studies on preventing and responding to the spread of invasive and nonnative marine and estuarine species.
408(k) 409Exploring ocean-based renewable energy technologies and climate change-related impacts to Florida’s coastal area.
422(l) 423Enhancing science education opportunities such as virtual marine technology centers.
433(m) 434Sustaining abundant birdlife and encouraging the recreational and economic benefits associated with ocean and coastal wildlife observation and photography.
453(n) 454Developing a statewide analysis of the economic value associated with ocean and coastal resources, developing economic baseline data, methodologies, and consistent measures of oceans and coastal resource economic activity and value, and developing reports that educate Floridians, the United States Commission on Ocean Policy, local, state, and federal agencies and others on the importance of ocean and coastal resources.
513(3) 514RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.516-517The council shall prepare a comprehensive oceans and coastal resource assessment that shall serve as a baseline of information to be used in assisting in its research plan. The resource assessment must include:550(a) 551Patterns of use of oceans and coastal resources;
559(b) 560Natural resource features, including, but not limited to, habitat, bathymetry, surficial geology, circulation, and tidal currents;
576(c) 577The location of current and proposed oceans and coastal research and monitoring infrastructure;
590(d) 591Industrial, commercial, coastal observing system, ships, subs, and recreational transit patterns; and
603(e) 604Socioeconomic trends of the state’s oceans and coastal resources and oceans and coastal economy.
