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.
In the most recent FY 2009-2010 Research Plan, the
Oceans Council recommended prioritization of research
which will quantify coastal impacts from climate change,
at scales that will be useful for regional and local
community planning. Since nearly 80% of Florida’s
economy is dependent on a coastal zone which is
potentially at high risk from climate change, evaluation
of these areas is crucial.
The Council is comprised of
three non-voting members and fifteen voting members appointed by
the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS).
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