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The Initiative legislation requires beginning January 15, 2024, and each January 15 thereafter until its expiration, the Initiative shall submit an Annual Report that contains an overview of its accomplishments to date and priorities for subsequent years to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of Environmental Protection, and the Executive Director of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

  • Winter 2025
    • In January 2025, Mote published its second Initiative Report, provided below, a requirement of 403.93344(3)(e) Florida Statutes. It contains an overview of the Initiative’s accomplishments to date and priorities for subsequent years
  • Summer, Fall, and Winter 2024
    • Significant progress towards the completion of the seagrass greenhouse at the Mote Aquaculture Research Park (MAP).
      • This greenhouse will serve as an experimentation area for funded partners, as well as a space to store and grow seedlings for genetic work.
      • All electricity work completed.
      • All 24 raceways installed and plumbed in September 2024.
    • Supplies and equipment for genetic research and the outfitting of the genetics lab have begun to be purchased.
    • Two Mote employees travelled down to multiple sites in the Florida Keys to collect Thalassia seedlings for holding at Mote. These seedlings will be used to aid in genetic research.
    • Received Thalassia seedlings from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for University of Georgia’s Initiative funded project.
    • Second Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative Technology Advisory Council Meeting was held at Brevard Zoo on 08/26/24, this meeting also included a visit to Brevard Zoo’s seagrass nurseries at the Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute in the Indian River Lagoon.
    • Dr. Dominique Gallery was hired in August 2024 as the new Seagrass Postdoctoral Research Fellow.
      • They are coming in with a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin, with a background in genetics.
      • Dr. Gallery will work with funded partners to collect seagrass samples for genetic analysis and research, as well as for the creation of the genetic library of Florida seagrasses.
    • DEP Year 2 Contract Executed.
    • First Request For Proposal closed January 31, 2024.
      • Review process conducted; held numerous partner/proposer meetings; award letters and contracts sent out.
    • Supplies and equipment for genetic research and the outfitting of the genetics lab have continued to be purchased.
    • Moffatt & Nichol has been doing background research on seagrass restoration in Florida. They have reviewed 116 management documents:
      • 21 Aquatic Preserve Management Plans
      • 7 Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans
      • 11 SWIM Plans
      • 3 Basin Management Action Plans
      • 6 National Park plans
      • 23 State Park Management Plans
      • 1 County Comprehensive Plan
      • 1 SIMM Report
      • 45 Supplemental Reports
    • All eight funded projects from the Year 1 Request for Proposals are underway.
      • Received some technical and financial reports from partners who have hit the halfway point.
    • Initiative Technical and Financial Reports submitted.
    • Year 2 Request for Proposals released December 13th, 2024 (closed on January 31st, 2025).
    • Synergy of state funded objectives with philanthropic funding under the Ron and Marla Wolf Seagrass Restoration Center for Ocean Sustainability ($750K) and Publix Supermarkets for the creation of the Publix Seagrass Genetics Research Laboratory-Hub (400k).
    • Synergy of state funded objectives with federal government funding from a Congressional Community Funding Project ($750K).
  • Winter 2024
    • ​In January 2024, Mote published its first Initiative Report, provided below, a requirement of 403.93344(3)(e) Florida Statutes. It contains an overview of the Initiative’s accomplishments to date and priorities for subsequent years
  • Summer and Fall 2023
    • In July 2023, the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative was passed in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, then signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
    • In September 2023, Mote received funding from NOAA to begin the “Using Land-Based Seagrass Nurseries and Genetic Approaches to Increase Seagrass Restoration Success” Project.
    • Mote Seagrass Postdoctoral Fellow, Jamila Roth, has begun to build up and stock Mote’s lab space to prepare for genetic and restoration research.
    • Land at Mote’s Aquaculture Research Park (MAP) has been cleared and is being prepped for the building of the Ron and Marla Wolf Seagrass Restoration Center for Ocean Sustainability.
      • This center will include a new greenhouse with 24 raceways for experimentation and restoration.
    • ​In December of 2023, the first Seagrass Initiative “Request For Proposals” was published on the Mote website. This “Request For Proposals” will bring in the first wave of genetic-based and restoration focused project proposals that could be funded from the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative.