University of Florida Assistant professor of family, youth and community sciences Angie Lindsey (left) talking with community partners.
Issues such as red tide and climate change pose serious threats to the natural resources that draw millions of visitors to Florida each year. To address the impacts of these issues, the PIE Center has collaborated on grant projects to integrate research results with coastal communities through strategic messaging and educational components.
The Gulf Coast Ocean Observatory System (GCOOS) Assessment of the Short- and Long-Term Socioeconomic Impacts of Florida’s 2017-2019 Red Tide Event has utilized the PIE Center’s strengths in disseminating research on important natural resources issues. The goal of the GCOOS project is to understand the societal impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs), more commonly known as red tide events, caused by the single-celled organism Karenia brevis.
The PIE Center has worked closely on this project with Christa Court, assistant professor of regional economics at the University of Florida and director of the Economic Impact Analysis Program.
“The scope and intensity of recent HAB events in Florida has increased public awareness of these events and their associated socioeconomic impacts,” Court said. “A more complete understanding of the socioeconomic impacts of HABs is critical to an informed decision-making process related to strategies for mitigating or preventing HABs or the impacts of HABs at the local, state and federal levels.”
Throughout the two-year project, the PIE Center will conduct a series of six focus groups to measure the public’s perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of HABs. PIE Center research coordinator Sandra Anderson has led the development of the focus groups for the GCOOS project.
“A common theme in all three groups was the high level of concern about harmful algae blooms (HABs) and the effect of having another HAB event like the one that occurred in 2018,” Anderson said. “Participants from all the groups also expressed an interest in wanting to know more information about HABs before, during and after an event.”
Using the data from the focus groups, the PIE Center will develop a communication and outreach toolkit during the project’s second year. The toolkit will include informational print pieces, infographics and a webinar targeted towards UF/IFAS Extension faculty to promote the materials for use in Extension programming.
“The PIE Center has played the vital role of connecting the project to the affected communities, gathering perspectives and insights on how these events have impacted their lives and livelihoods as well as valuable input and feedback on research directions,” Court said.
The PIE Center has fulfilled a similar role in a project focused on coastal ecosystems in the Suwannee River region. The NAS Ecological and Economic Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on Coastal Food Webs and Fisheries project aims to understand the influence of future climate and environmental issues on natural resources and communities.
The NAS project is led by Michael Allen, UF professor of fisheries and aquatic science and director of the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station.
Committee members listen to the NAS project team present in Cedar Key, Florida on April 30th, 2021.
“The biggest threat to natural resources in the Suwannee River basin results from expected changes in freshwater quality and quantity that result from climate change and human use of land and water,” Allen said. “This challenge will influence all aspects of life in the Suwannee River basin and associated estuary. Understanding how best management practices can mitigate these impacts is critical for sustaining productive agriculture, forestry, fisheries and wildlife in our region.”
In April 2021, the PIE Center hosted the first committee meeting and focus group for the project in Cedar Key, Florida. A discussion was facilitated to understand local stakeholders’ perceptions of environmental, economic and community issues in the Suwannee River region.
The committee met again in November 2021 to receive updates and provide feedback on the development of the project. Data from the committee discussions will be used to inform the creation of public surveys and further research.
“The PIE Center brings expertise in communicating science to the public. Faculty and staff at the PIE Center are experts at integrating public input into complex research projects,” Allen said. “The result will hopefully be better management of natural systems in the future.
Read more about the PIE Center’s impact on Florida communities in this year’s annual report.
