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What is an ERT?
Kent SmithFlorida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Marine/Estuarine SubsectionAnnie Roddenberry (FWC), Jeff Beal
(FWC), Katie
Konchar (FWC), Kim Wren (FDEP) Ron Brockmeyer(SJRWMD), Scott
Eastman (FDEP), Melody Rae-Culp
(USFWS), Gian Basili (USFWS)
Beyond Terrestrial
Regional Estuarine Restoration Teams In
Florida
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Informal group of practitioners planning and implementing
estuarine restoration on an aquascape-level
• Open discussion group• Sharing programmatic expertise • Focus
on restoration projects not mandated by
regulatory actions in estuaries• No authority distinct from
participating
organizations
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Informal group of practitioners planning and implementing
estuarine restoration on an aquascape-level
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In other words… Think-tanks
Combined Resources
Broader network
Collective experience
Constructive feedback
Leveraging opportunities
Regional-scale planning and implementation
Group Problem-solving
Increased communication
More efficient use of resources
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NERT
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NERT
ECERT
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NERT
ECERT
PERT
SWERT
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NERT
ECERT
PERT
BigBERT?
SWERT
SOFLERT?
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Vision: To create healthy, thriving estuarine habitats of
sufficient quantity and quality throughout northeast Florida.
Mission: To facilitate and implement restoration and bring
together partners to develop a regional landscape-level habitat
initiative focused on the restoration and enhancement of estuarine
and shoreline habitats including coastal marsh, mangroves, oyster
communities and seagrass for estuaries extending from the St. Marys
River to Sebastian Inlet on the east coast of Florida
Northeast Florida Estuarine Restoration Team (NERT) Guidance
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How does it work?
Steering committeeMax 10 members
NOAA (1), FWS (1), FWC (1), SJRWMD (2), DEP (1), NGO (1)
Regional team leads for North (1) and South (1), rotating
members
Chair: one SC member, rotating each year
Dedicated coordinator
SC calls one month prior to NERT meetings
Operate by consensus voteSource: www.bybus.co.uk
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Membership• No limit, no requirements
• Open door policy
• Agencies (state and fed), universities, non-profits,
consultants, counties, cities, coastal land managers, land
trusts
• Meetings 3x per year, rotating within the region (N to S)
• Not a group for approval or endorsement
• Online forum for resource sharing
How does it work?
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• Reconnection of impounded coastal marsh
• Oyster shell recycling and reef restoration
• Subsided marsh restoration • Living Shoreline creation
• Seagrass restoration• Shoreline characterization
Source: SJRWMD
Source: SJRWMD
Source: Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
Example Collaborative Projects:
• Post construction monitoring
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Shoreline characterization
2015-2016
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Shoreline characterization
2015-2016
2016-2017
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Shoreline characterization
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
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Salt marsh restoration, plant nursery, and Living Shoreline
Demonstration Site, New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County
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Photo: R. Parkinson
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>600 hours>25,000 plants
Photo: Marine Discovery Center
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Photo: Marine Discovery Center
Photo: Jeff Beal
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Photo: R. Parkinson
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What does a successful ERT look like?• NO approval or
endorsement• Multi-organization leadership• Clear steering
committee direction• Open lines and means of communication•
Integrated projects with funds (grants +
match)• Subgroups
• Spoil Island Working Group• Shellfish TAC• Others as
needed
Photo: Marine Discovery Center
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Kent SmithFWC Marine/Estuarine Subsection
[email protected]
Any questions?
mailto:[email protected]
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Example NERT Success Story Projects
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Dragline ditched marsh, Mosquito Lagoon
Courtesy: J. Beal, FWC
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Mosquito Lagoon Dragline Ditching
Open water
marsh
Upland hammock
Open water Open water
Artificialupland
Artificialupland
Wetlands?
Courtesy: J. Beal, FWC
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Dragline ditch
Courtesy: J. Beal, FWC
Mosquito Ditch Restoration
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2yrs post-restoration
Mosquito Ditch Restoration
Courtesy: J. Beal, FWC
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$3650 per acre to restore
Provides 50lbs of fish biomass per acre annually to adjacent
waters Stevens et al. 2007(600 restored acres produce 15tons
annually)
Provides $13,400 per acre in coastal storm protection Costanza
2008(600 restored acres provide $8,040,000 protection)
Courtesy: J. Beal, FWC
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• Provides free shell material for regional restoration •
Started in 2014• Recycled >450,000lbs of shell
• > 10,000 oyster bags• > 2,000 oyster mats
• Strong partnerships with 3 organizations in 3 counties • 18
restaurants, 1 shuck house
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Photo: FAU Harbor Branch
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Number 14Shoreline characterizationShoreline
characterizationShoreline characterizationSlide Number 18Slide
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23What does a successful ERT look like?Slide Number 25Example NERT
Success Story ProjectsSlide Number 27Slide Number 28Slide Number
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