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Florida Seagrass Manager's Toolkit (2003)

This toolkit is written for resource managers, other professionals directly involved in seagrass management, and for decision-makers and citizens who have an interest in the subject.

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This Toolkit addresses a broad set of topics—protecting and restoring Florida’s seagrass resources. A large amount of information is available on these topics, and the biggest challenge in assembling the Toolkit has been to limit the document to a manageable size. The material chosen for inclusion was selected to meet the project’s two main objectives:

• To help readers identify and define the seagrass management issues they face; and
• To provide an introduction to some of the management practices that are available for addressing those issues.

The Toolkit consists of five chapters:

Section 1: Introduction
Describes the ecological importance of Florida’s seagrass habitats and the need for effective management. Outlines a basic problem-solving model that can be used to identify and develop appropriate responses to resource management issues. Discusses the importance of spatial and temporal scale in seagrass management.

Section 2: Mapping and Monitoring Tools
Describes the types and sources of mapping and monitoring data that are available to support seagrass management efforts in Florida.

Section 3: Protection and Restoration Tools
Describes a variety of approaches that managers are currently using to protect and restore seagrass habitats on relatively large (e.g., bay-wide to regional) spatial scales. These include public education and outreach programs, community-based resource management programs, and traditional regulatory programs such as permitting of dredge and fill and dock construction projects on sovereign submerged lands.

Section 4: Replanting and Other Damage-Repair Tools
Describes some methods currently being used to restore seagrass habitats on relatively small spatial scales, to repair damage caused by propeller scars, vessel groundings, and other localized anthropogenic impacts.

Section 5: Some Emerging Issues
Describes some topics of potential future interest to seagrass managers.