The Port of Tampa Bay is a major terminal for bulk and liquid transshipment and supports a cruise line industry of serving over one million passengers per year. Safe navigation to the upper reaches of Tampa Bay is done through a relatively narrow series of channels with control depths of ~45’. The Tampa Bay Pilots have a close relationship with CMS and routinely utilize the PORTS® system, particularly the tide and wave information from a real-time wave buoy at the entrance to Tampa Bay. Because of the urban setting and relatively congested traffic in the upper bay, it represents a particular challenge should severe weather result in substantial port destruction. As such, the Port of Tampa makes an excellent test bed for development of technologies that can be used for port-centric disaster recovery. As part of this Center, we are working with the Port of Tampa to investigate appropriate mapping technologies and conduct exercises with the Port and Pilots to develop and evaluate disaster response procedures.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute facility in St. Petersburg is the major research entity in the State of Florida involved with fishery stock assessment and protected species science support. FWRI biologists perform fish stock assessments for important species such as red snapper, red grouper, and other managed species. As well, FWRI scientists conduct sea turtle, marine mammal, and coastal habitat research all which use high-resolution multibeam and side-scan sonar for surveying coastal regions. Co-location of COMIT with FRWI provides important collaborations in studying bathymetry, coastal oceanography, and harmful algal blooms (such as red tides).

The City of St. Petersburg supports a vibrant marine science community comprised of ~1,200 scientists, technicians and students, employed by state and federal government agencies, academia and private enterprise. Key to the establishment of this community of marine researchers has been the continued engagement of business leaders and public officials within the community who recognize the importance of marine science and the marine environment to the City and region. The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership has been a critical long-term partner in building St. Petersburg’s Marine Science Complex for over 45 years. The Partnership was established specifically to develop the knowledge-based economy of the City. The Downtown Partnership currently supports numerous graduate student fellowships, an endowed a Chair faculty position at the College of Marine Science, and supports a wide variety of development activities. The Partnership also advocates for marine science issues with various levels of City, County, State and Federal government.