The Coastal Policy Lab is at the intersection of science and policy – law, economics, engineering, planning and the social sciences – and engages faculty and students from these and other disciplines in a “laboratory” format.
About
The “Coastal Policy Laboratory” provides a central campus hub for coastal policy research and training. Faculty from key disciplines at the intersection of science and policy – law, economics, engineering, planning and the social sciences – engage students from these and other disciplines in a “laboratory” format to ensure that the policy implications of Center research are adequately understood and addressed, that Center students are equipped with the tools of policy analysis, and that Center stakeholders have a place to go to seek advice on policy applications that advance coastal solutions, including those developed by the Center.
“Policy relevance has become a watchword for scientists and engineers grappling with the coast’s especially wicked problems. Achieving policy fluency is a key component of a truly interdisciplinary approach to STEM education. A policy lab housed in a STEM Center can achieve both.”
Thomas T. Ankersen, Committee Chair, UF Faculty Board
Professor, Director, Conservation Clinic
UF Levin College of Law
Coastal Policy Lab Course
As part of the Center for Coastal Solutions partnership with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), an inaugural fall semester course called the Coastal Policy Lab is bringing together six law students from the UF Law Conservation Clinic and six engineering graduate students affiliated with the Center for Coastal Solutions to address coastal resiliency on Sanibel and Captiva islands.
UF Law Professor Tom Ankersen and UF Environmental Engineering Professor Christine Angelini are focusing the first Coastal Policy Lab in Charlotte Harbor.
The Coastal Policy Lab is an experiential learning program in which law and graduate engineering and science students work together in teams on projects of importance to a local partner—in this case SCCF. They are exploring nature-based solutions that address sea level rise and water quality, such as living seawalls and shorelines, oyster and sponge gardening, mangrove management, and navigation channel design. Financial support for the program is provided by Florida Sea Grant.
Students are also researching institutional design options for coastal resiliency programming such as “adaptation action areas” and “coastal resiliency districts.” The student teams will present their results to SCCF stakeholders by early December. SCCF staff advising the project teams include SCCF Coastal Resiliency Program Manager Carrie Schuman, SCCF Environmental Policy Director James Evans, and SCCF Marine Laboratory Director Eric Milbrandt.
Coastal Policy NEWS & Blog
- Florida Sea Grant Convenes State’s First Restoration Aquaculture Policy Workshop
In October, Florida Sea Grant convened a small group of scientists, policy specialists, regulators, and stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges in the emerging field of restoration aquaculture. Restoration aquaculture is a relatively new area that merges the commodity-based production-oriented practices of aquaculture with an ecosystem services approach to environmental restoration.
The goal is to put ... - POLICY BRIEF: Oyster Governance in Florida: A Rich History with Lessons for Future Management
STATE POLICY BRIEF
OYSTER GOVERNANCE IN FLORIDA: A RICH HISTORY WITH LESSONS FOR FUTURE MANAGEMENT
Project Team
Chad Palmer, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, UF
Cole Thomas, J.D. (2022), UF Levin College of Law
Meredith Burgess, J.D. Candidate (2023), UF Levin College of Law
Jamie Castille, M.S., Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, UF
Faculty Advisors
Thomas T. ... - Coastal Policy Lab students develop science-to-policy tools for restoration aquaculture and governance of wild oyster fisheries
The CCS Coastal Policy Lab focused the Spring semester on the development of science-to-policy tools to advance the development of restoration aquaculture to enhance water quality in Florida and on governance issues associated with Florida’s wild oyster fishery.
- A Missing Entity? Florida’s Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan Legislation and Independent Special Districts
Adding Independent Special Districts to the list of entities eligible to participate in the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience planning and implementation processes should be afforded further consideration given their self-governing authority over critical assets, their ability to operationalize resiliency projects and their capacity to leverage state and other grant funds provided through their own revenue generation.
- Coastal Policy Update: 2022 Marine and Coastal Related Legislation and Appropriations Recap with Commentary
Coastal policy received a significant amount of attention in the Florida legislature this year, with several bills and budget items making their way to the Governor’s desk and others dying in committees. This update describes bills and projects of particular relevance to the CCS community and provides some context.