Cooperative Agreement P24AC02496

The University of North Florida received a $388,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the National Park Service under the "Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System" (CFDA 15.945) federal grant program. The award will fund the expansion of living shoreline oyster restoration efforts at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville, Florida, and similar approaches to stabilize shorelines and recruit oysters at three other National Parks in Northeast Florida. Key project tasks include evaluating pervious oyster shell habitat units, developing methods to upscale and automate their production, and optimizing the living shorelines installed across the four park units. This project will engage local volunteers, faculty, and students from the University of North Florida in hands-on learning opportunities focused on coastal restoration techniques to benefit the National Park System and surrounding communities.