Bridging the gap between the scientific community and the public.

Measuring the length of seagrass blades is one of many measurements that staff take to determine seagrass distribution, abundance, individual growth, and overall health of the habitat.

This comprehensive stakeholder engagement and science communication initiative supports the Statewide Ecosystem Assessment of Coastal and Aquatic Resources (SEACAR) by developing education and outreach efforts for a diverse group of stakeholders. These will range from database management and professional science communication training for scientists, to a public seminar, to traveling trunks and digital education materials for school groups. 
This project provides a unique and innovative approach to increasing outreach by bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public while still catering educational opportunities to each group individually. At the end of this event, scientists contributing to SEACAR will have an increased understanding of comparable methodologies among their programs, SEACAR Data Discovery site utilization, and communication skills for catering their messages to a variety of audiences. Public participants will walk away with a greater understanding of and appreciation for Florida’s coastal, estuarine, and marine resources. The efforts of this project will be used to make management decisions backed by sound science.
SEACAR’s goal is to utilize current knowledge and scientific data to assess the status and trends of submerged habitats and provide the best available science to help guide management, restoration and policy decisions. The SEACAR team has been working to increase the use and utility of existing decision analysis tools and communicating the importance and applicability of data to both internal and external users of these products. In line with these priorities, the goal of this project is to increase communication and collaboration among SEACAR data providers, subject matter experts (SMEs), and external interested parties to support current and future ecosystem assessment and resiliency efforts. From this goal, the main objectives of the project are to:

  1. Develop and host a data management workshop for SEACAR SMEs. The workshop discussion will include an assessment of methodology comparability among programs, a standardized species list generated for the entirety of the SEACAR Data Discovery site, and reports generated for each habitat and ORCP managed area. This in-person workshop will also include guest talks from the managers and statistical analysts of the SEACAR Data Discovery site, tutorials on usage of the Data Discovery site, and breakout sessions among SME groups. This objective will result in an increased understanding of the use and utilization of the Data Discovery site and suggestions for increasing comparability among data providing programs, which may be developed into guidance documents for resource managers.
  2. Incorporate professional science communication training and a tools café for scientists contributing to SEACAR. Science communication promotes understanding, trust, and engagement, fostering a collaborative relationship between the scientific community and the broader public. Despite these benefits, it is an often-overlooked aspect of scientific meetings and workshops. An eight-week, virtual, voluntary training session with Dr. Olson, creator of the ABT Framework, will occur prior to the public seminar, allowing scientists to use the science communication skills from this training in their presentations. Lessons learned will be discussed among scientists and science communication staff, and a tools café will take place to discuss other successful modes of science communication, so Florida’s coastal resiliency may be clearly and efficiently conveyed.
  3. Develop and host a public seminar and educational excursions. Public outreach events have many benefits, including increasing accessibility to scientific information, connecting with diverse audiences, and promoting scientific literacy. By hosting a free public seminar in collaboration with our project partner Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, accurate, evidence-based information can be shared directly with the public by professional scientists and managers. Participants will learn the importance of SEACAR’s priority habitats and indicators, why management is important, and what individuals can do to support ecosystem resiliency at an individual and community level.
    Excursions are often used by educators to supplement what has been learned in the classroom because they provide a platform for experiential learning. An educational excursion will take place alongside the public seminar to supplement the presentations through hands-on experiences and reflection. Experiences will include an eco-boat tour of mangrove and seagrass beds and/or a tour of the Mote aquarium and aquaculture facilities in Florida.
  4. Develop and distribute educational materials both digitally and as ‘traveling trunks’ to Florida school districts. When children are exposed to environmental education, this knowledge is transferred between generations and can lead to positive behavioral changes in the household (Damerell, Howe, and Milner-Gulland 2013). A wealth of information will be shared through the SME workshop and the public seminar, which will be used as a building block for the development of environmental education materials. Digital materials, such as PowerPoint presentations, guest lectures, and ArcGIS story maps will be publicly available. Information shared during the workshop and seminar will also be used to create “traveling trunks” for classrooms. These trunks serve as screen-free multimedia kits packed full of resources that focus on education through touch, sound, and sight. For example, a traveling trunk created for the SEACAR program could include books about the natural environments of Florida, bleached skeletons of common Floridian coral species, and 3D printed oyster shells that could be measured to teach students about accuracy and precision. Materials will be created in accordance with CPALMS Florida State University education standards. These trunks will be developed in partnership with Florida’s three National Estuarine Research Reserves and the Coral Reef Conservation Program, who have utilized traveling trunks for their own outreach events and partner regularly with school groups.

Educational opportunities:

  • Science communication training, DATES: June 2 – 6, July 7 – 11, and August 4 – 8, 2025. [Register]
  • Webinar series and data workshops, * DATES: TBD
  • Public seminar hosted at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, *DATES: December 3 – 4, 2025.
  • Traveling trunks, *in development!

*Details and registration links will be posted when available.

Science Communication Training for SEACAR Contributors

The Florida Coastal Management Program has partnered with Randy Olson, Ph.D., to offer virtual science communication training using the ABT Narrative. ABT, which stands for “And, But, Therefore,” is a storytelling structure that creates a clear and engaging narrative by connecting events with cause and effect. This approach helps improve the flow of your message and better convey your research, leading to stronger and more positive audience responses.

To participate, you or your organization must contribute data to SEACAR or use data from SEACAR and have a strong desire to communicate scientific research or analysis related to estuarine and marine habitats: water column, submerged aquatic vegetation, oyster reefs, coral reefs, and coastal wetlands. Participants must commit to attending all three online sessions (3.5 hours). 

Dates: June 2 – 6, July 7 – 11, and August 4 – 8, 2025.

Schedule: Online lectures will be held at 2:00 pm EST, Monday and Wednesday (1-hour), and Friday (90-minute mini-symposium). Thursday participants will select a 15-minute timeslot for individual sessions. 

To register [Register], please provide a one paragraph explanation of why you want to participate in the training along with a summary of your work and the concepts you want to communicate to the public and policy makers. Participants are encouraged to attend a lessons-learned workshop and the SEACAR Symposium, which will be hosted at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida in December 2025. We look forward to seeing you there!

Project Team
  • Cheryl Clark, Coastal Projects Manager, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection (SEACAR@FloridaDEP.gov)
  • Angel Ganey, Environmental Specialist I, Apalachicola NERR
  • Anita Grove, Environmental Specialist III, Apalachicola NERR
  • Jennifer Harper, Deputy Director, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection
  • Josephine Spearman, Education Coordinator, Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR
  • Lia Sansom, Reserve Manager, Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR
  • Marissa Figueroa, Coastal Training Coordinator, Rookery Bay NERR
  • Maya Bhalla-Ladd, Environmental Specialist III, Coral Reef Conservation Program
  • Mollie Cordo, Southeast Regional Administrator, Coral Reef Conservation Program
  • Robert Gorecki, Environmental Specialist III, Apalachicola NERR

This project is funded in part by a grant provided by the Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Zone Management Program Section.

Last Modified: Thursday, Jul 17, 2025 - 11:03am