Research and results from the first four years of the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program

Elizabeth Fetherston-Resch, 2020. “Research and results from the first four years of the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program”, Shore & Beach 88(1), 135-139. http://doi.org/10.34237/10088116

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http://doi.org/10.34237/10088116

Research and results from the first four years of the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program
Elizabeth Fetherston-Resch
Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program Director
Florida Institute of Oceanography
830 First Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
ehfetherston@mail.usf.edu

Born of settlements surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program (FLRACEP) is charged with administering approximately $26 million in research grants for Florida over a period of more than 15 years. Centers of Excellence are selected through a competitive, peer-reviewed process which has thus far awarded $4.3 million in grants to 10 Florida researchers investigating different elements of marine fish and wildlife research and long-term fisheries monitoring. The initial 11 FLRACEP research grants produced 48 submitted or planned papers, and supported 63 students. While these outputs are significant, the FLRACEP Centers of Excellence are tackling important issues in coastal and marine research, resource management, and community resilience. The FLRACEP management team and program staff work to ensure effective program administration and research that is responsive to the needs of the state within the eligible RESTORE Act disciplines. While the program has encountered challenges in its early years, focus remains on the opportunity this funding represents.