Potential Sea Level Rise Impacts to Florida Keys Among Topics of Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting

June 02, 2009

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) will meet June 16, 2009, at the Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Highway, Marathon beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend; there will be opportunities for public comment at 10:05 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The meeting will feature reports from SAC Working Groups, as well as presentations by the scientific community.

Sanctuary superintendent Sean Morton will provide an update on the management plan and regulatory review timeline at 1:30 p.m.

At 3:00 p.m., SAC member Chris Bergh’s presentation “Sea Level Rise Projections for the Florida Keys,” will explore maps and estimates by The Nature Conservancy of potential property value losses associated with projections of sea level rise. 

Dave Eaken, of FWC, will present on the outreach activities of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 3:50 p.m.

The SAC was established to provide the sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the State of Florida advice on implementation of the sanctuary’s final management plan. SAC members also serve as liaisons to the community regarding sanctuary issues. SAC members relay the community’s interests, concerns, and management needs to the sanctuary.

The sanctuary was established in 1990 in recognition of the special resources found in and around the waters of the Florida Keys. NOAA and the State of Florida jointly developed a comprehensive plan to protect and manage sanctuary resources. For more information, visit the Sanctuary’s web site at http://floridakeys.noaa.gov. A current list of SAC members may be found at http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/members.html.