Enhancing SEACAR’s impact: A Comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement and Science Communication Initiative for Coastal Resilience in Florida.

Bridging the gap between the scientific community and the public.

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This comprehensive stakeholder engagement and science communication initiative supports SEACAR by developing education and outreach initiatives for a diverse group of stakeholders, ranging from database management and professional science communication training for scientists to a public seminar to traveling trunks and digital education materials for school groups. The public seminar and educational excursions will be held at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, a state-of-the-art 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to science education and research. A Science Communication team will spearhead these efforts, which support SEACAR’s strategy to “conduct education and outreach related to use of SEACAR data products, standardized data collection protocols, and integration of SEACAR data products into management decisions”.
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 resources. The efforts of this project will be used to make management decisions backed by sound science. Together, these skillsets developed, and knowledge gained will aid the state of Florida in continued efforts to conserve and restore our ocean and wetland resources, thus increasing resiliency of these valuable ecosystems in the coming years.
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 planning, management, restoration and policy decisions. The SEACAR team has been working to increase the use and utility of existing decision analysis tools (SEACAR Data Discovery site, interactive website currently under development) and communicating the importance and applicability of these data to both internal and external users of data products. In line with these priorities, the goal of this project is to increase communication and collaboration among SEACAR data providers, subject matter (SME) experts, 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. Discussion points of the workshop 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. The  in-person workshop will  including guest talks from the managers of the SEACAR Data Discovery site and statistical analysts, tutorials on correct usage of the Data Discovery site, and breakout sessions among SME groups. Such an endeavor is made possible through our strong, established partnership with the University of South Florida Water Institute, who have spearheaded data processing and standardization. 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 SMEs to take place prior to the public seminar. 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. Project partner and marine biologist turned filmmaker, Dr. Randy Olson, formalized this framework in 2015 to address the problem of poor communication in science with the solution of lassoing the power of narrative structure (The ABT Framework). This framework is now used nationwide by organizations such as The Gates Foundation, World Bank, Pfizer, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Park Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A eight-week, virtual, voluntary training session with Dr. Olson will occur prior to the public seminar, allowing scientists to use the science communication skills from this training, in their presentations. Lessons learned from this training will be discussed among scientist and science communication staff, and a tools café will take place to discuss other successful modes of science communication. This objective will result in a cohesive understanding of a widely used narrative tool that SMEs can implement with their respective agencies, as well as other successful communication approaches, so that the importance and relevance of this data to Florida’s coastal resiliency may be clearly and efficiently conveyed.
3. Develop and host a public seminar and educational excursion. 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 communicated directly to the public, by professional scientists and managers. This will be accomplished through selection of public-facing talks that will discuss 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. Experiential learning, or learning by doing, engages individuals in hands-on experiences and reflection. An educational excursion will take place during the public seminar to supplement what was learned through the presentations. Excursions 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. Research has demonstrated that when children are exposed to environmental education, this knowledge can be transferred between generations (i.e., from offspring to parents) and indirectly support positive behavioral changes in the household (Damerell, Howe, and Milner-Gulland 2013). Environmental education is not always prioritized in grade school. It is, therefore, in the best interests of scientists and managers alike to extend environmental education to younger generations. 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. These materials will be distributed in two ways: Digital materials, such as PowerPoint presentations, guest lectures, and ArcGIS story maps will be uploaded to the SEACAR site for public access. Information shared during the workshop and seminar will also be used to create “traveling trunks”. These trunks serve as screen-free multimedia kits packed full of resources that focus on education through touch, tech, 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 determine accuracy and precision. Materials will be created in accordance with CPALMS Florida State University education standards (CPALMS). These trunks will be developed in partnership with the 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. These trunks will be made available for partners and school districts across the state.

Educational opportunities:

• Science communication training, * DATES: May 5 – June 27, 2025.
• Webinar series and data workshops, * DATES: TBD
• Public seminar hosted at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, * DATES: December 2025.
• Traveling trunks, *in development!

*Details and registration links will be posted when available.

Professional Science Communication Training for SEACAR Contributors

As part of the Statewide Ecosystem Assessment of Coastal and Aquatic Resources (SEACAR) Comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement and Science Communication Initiative, which was funded to support SEACAR’s efforts to bridge the gap between the scientific community, the public, and decision makers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) will offer professional science communication training May 5 – June 27, 2025. The training will be limited to 30 participants who are actively contributing to SEACAR and have a desire to effectively communicate science to decision makers. The ABT Framework course will be led by Randy Olson, PhD and his team, this training will be comprised of the ABT narrative training and the “Nailing it!” workshop. The narrative training teaches the art of communicating science through storytelling and the “Nailing it!” workshop provides lectures and guidance for development of effective PowerPoint presentations. 
The training is comprised of three parts:
PART ONE: Lecture theory of how ABT works (six 1-hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays). Dates: May 5-9, 12-16, 19-23.
PART TWO: Working Circles, each person is required to host their own Working Circle, then be a participant in at least 2 others (minimum of three ½ hour sessions). Dates: May 19-23, 26-30, June 2-6.
PART THREE: Application workshop and presentation creation – week 1 and 2: brainstorming and PowerPoint development, week 3: practice and present (10-minute practice sessions and a 2-hour symposium). Participants will be broken into 6 teams during Part Three. Dates: June 9-13, 16-20, 23-27.
To participate, participants must collect data or communicate information about scientific research within estuarine and marine habitats and have a strong desire to help communicate the work that is being done by the science community to the public and decision makers. Participants are required to commit to attending all three parts of the training, which include 9-hours of active participation over an eight-week time span. Participants will be asked to submit an abstract for the SEACAR Public seminar, which will be hosted at Mote Marine Laboratory in December 2025. 
If you are interested in taking this training, please complete the application form prior to April 18, 2025. Participation is limited to 30 people and applications will be evaluated as they are received.