The Council

The Florida Oceans and Coastal Council was created by the 2005 Legislature through The Oceans and Coastal Resources Act [pdf - 20 KB]. The Council is charged each year with developing priorities for ocean and coastal research and establishing a statewide ocean research plan. The Council also coordinates public and private ocean research for more effective coastal management.

To this end, the Oceans Council conducts regular meetings as part of creating an annual report recommending research priorities. They examine the management needs of those Florida agencies having coastal and marine resource management responsibilities. The research needed to address these management needs is identified and prioritized based upon overall state importance. This prioritized list is sent to the Legislature each year for use in constructing the state budget.