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Press Release
FWC recognized at regional awards ceremony

Press Release

Noevmber 3, 2009 

Contact:

Carli Segelson (727) 896-8626

FWC RECOGNIZED AT REGIONAL AWARDS CEREMONY 

Photo Credit: Jeanne C. Allen    View Larger Image

Photo Credit: Jeanne C. Allen    View Larger Image

The Gulf of Mexico Program honored staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at the Gulf Guardian Awards Thursday in Biloxi, Miss. Three FWC staff members received recognition for their outstanding conservation-oriented work.

Capt. Jayson Horadam, an FWC law enforcement officer based in Naples, received a second-place Gulf Guardian Award in the individual category. Horadam has demonstrated outstanding leadership in establishing a cooperative network of marine law enforcement personnel from federal, state and local agencies within the region.

“His commitment to conservation and to effective communication has served as a catalyst for transforming traditional law enforcement into a collaborative partnership,” said FWC Col. Jim Brown. “This partnership is designed to educate residents about the values of the Gulf coast, while strengthening enforcement through increased sharing of limited resources and information.”

Dr. Cristina Carollo and David Reed, scientists with the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, received a third-place Gulf Guardian Award in the government category for their work on the Gulf Geospatial Assessment of Marine Ecosystems (GAME) project. The project catalogues existing scientific information about the coastal and ocean waters of Florida, the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the South Atlantic Ocean.

“The GAME project is an important step in laying the foundation for an ecosystem-based management approach for the ocean, coastal waters and estuaries throughout the Gulf states,” said Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Director Gil McRae.

The Gulf of Mexico Program initiated the Gulf Guardian Awards in 2000 to recognize and honor businesses, community groups, individuals and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. Underwritten by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the program is a non-regulatory group of federal agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural communities and the fishing industry, and it includes scientists, environmentalists and community leaders from all five Gulf states.

For more information about the Gulf Guardian Awards and the Gulf of Mexico Program, visit www.epa.gov/gmpo. To learn more about FWC research and law enforcement programs visit MyFWC.com.