NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Seeks Applicants for Advisory Council

Jan. 27, 2011

NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for three alternate seats on its advisory council, which ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.

“The members of our advisory council represent an extremely important element of our community,” said sanctuary superintendent Sean Morton. “Their input, experience and expertise assist sanctuary management in making informed and timely decisions on how to best manage our wildlife and habitats.”

The sanctuary headquarters office is accepting applications for alternates for the following seats: Boating Industry, Citizen at Large – Middle Keys, and Citizen at Large – Upper Keys.
  
Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources.  Applicants who are chosen to serve as alternates should expect to serve three-year terms, pursuant to the council’s Charter. 

The advisory council consists of 40 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It also includes primary and alternate representatives from 10 government agencies.

Applications are due Feb. 23, 2011. To receive an application kit, or for further information, please contact council coordinator Lilli Ferguson via e-mail at Lilli.Ferguson@noaa.gov, by phone at 305-292-0311 ext. 245 or by mail at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 33 East Quay Rd., Key West, FL  33040. Application kits may also be downloaded from the sanctuary’s Web site, floridakeys.noaa.gov.

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.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from
the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and
marine resources. Visit us at www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.