Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded New College of Florida a $536,544 Cooperative Agreement under the Sea Grant Support program (CFDA 11.417) effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028. The award funds the development and implementation of a cost-effective, scalable protected species monitoring plan for aquaculture operations, specifically to assess potential effects on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed species and marine mammals from the Velella Epsilon net pen facility operated by Ocean Era, Inc. The project deliverables include a scientifically robust monitoring protocol utilizing both visual and acoustic methodologies, with performance occurring in Sarasota, Florida.

The funded activities center on graduate student research conducting vessel-based visual surveys and passive acoustic monitoring across three phases: pre-deployment baseline data collection, one-year operational monitoring during net pen deployment, and post-deployment monitoring following facility decommissioning. The student researcher will document the presence, distribution, and behavioral patterns of protected species including sea turtles, giant manta rays, oceanic whitetip sharks, smalltooth sawfish, and marine mammals such as bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic spotted dolphins. The project directly supports aquaculture industry compliance with environmental regulations while identifying the most cost-effective monitoring methods suitable for commercial operators, demonstrating NOAA's commitment to balancing sustainable marine resource development with environmental protection through applied research and knowledge transfer.