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Florida has long boomed economically from three revenue sources — farming, real estate, tourism. Now, local leaders would like to add the ocean to that list. Florida is launching a new Office of Ocean Economy, which aims to make the state a major contender in a “blue economy” race that is well underway in other states and countries. Some of that development is already happening here in South Florida, and backers hope the initiative will make the Sunshine State a global leader in water-driven innovation. State Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton, who co-sponsored the bill that created the office with state Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, and state Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Sunny Isles Beach, said that the goal is to connect the dots of the blue economy in Florida so everyone can benefit. Those dots include academic research, innovation, technology, funding, branding, and the ocean itself. According to the bill, the office is charged with: — Connecting the state’s ocean resources to economic development with a focus on sustainable practices. — Connecting the state’s universities and transforming innovative technology into functional businesses. — Developing a pipeline for innovation to be commercialized and financed. — Branding the state globally as a leader in the ocean economy. — Reporting the economic benefits the office has generated, as well as emerging ocean economy innovations, each August. “We need the next Gatorade to come out of the ocean,” said LaMarca at a recent Florida Ocean Alliance event at the Coral Ridge Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale. LaMarca’s Gatorade reference was a nod to researchers at the University of Florida, who in 1965 developed the sports drink — and created an industry — because they were concerned that UF athletes were sweating out too many electrolytes in the Florida heat. “There’s plenty of great research being done now,” LaMarca said. “What we want to do is take what’s in a research project and what is on the shelf and bring possible products to market.” Funding for the initiative will come from the state, and the office will be housed at Florida Atlantic University and led by Colin Polsky, founding director of FAU’s School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability. Polsky said that some current examples of the ocean economy include aquaculture, commercial fishing and recreation (SCUBA businesses, fishing guides). But given that Florida has 8,436-mile coastline, high-level research institutions seeking solutions to climate change, and access to the power of tides and the Gulf Stream, there’s much more that can be done. Central to the initiative is the fact that Florida is on the front lines of climate change and sea-level rise. As the region develops solutions, and those solutions can be turned into businesses that the rest of the world can use. Polsky said that startups could emerge around topics such as hydroelectric power from both tides and the Gulf Stream, innovative ways to protect shorelines through both designed structures and developing coral reefs that are better adapted to high heat conditions. He used other regions as examples of blue economy leadership. “Denmark is the global leader in offshore wind technology development,” Polsky said. China has ramped up production, but the know-how came from a place — Denmark, Polsky said. Related Articles “Same thing with the Netherlands with flood control. They’ve been doing that for 500 years. Humanity has always been trying to manage risk in coastal zones. Places that do it well, export it.” Polsky said that efforts in this first fiscal year would start with a statewide listening tour to ascertain what ocean economy ventures have been attempted, what needs to continue and not to continue. His team will also develop reports on local gross domestic product associated with different parts of the ocean economy, and map that analysis across the state. They will then look at employment trends, define the status quo and model how local economies might perform under different economic forces. “Then we can incorporate ideas from all around the state about different opportunities, avenues, levers, mechanisms for improving the ocean economy,” he said. Florida is not alone in the blue economy race. Skidmore said the Sunshine State is competing with Rhode Island, San Diego, Mississippi and several institutes around Boston. Globally she said Portugal, Scotland, Norway and others are making headway. “They’re really killing it in this space. So we do have some catch up we need to do,” she said. “But if Florida can lead the U.S. ... then we can compete around the world.” In 10 years, LaMarca envisions an intellectual pipeline. “My hope is that every smart young research student that’s doing work at our universities has the opportunity to take something ... to bring a project to market and be able to monetize that,” he said. LaMarca previously worked on legislation in Florida that allowed student athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness, and said he thinks there’s a parallel to students in science fields. “They should be able to take what they’re learning, and if they can bring something to market, benefit off of it, not only for themselves, but for the universities.” Though the Office of Ocean Economy is new, water-focused businesses and research in South Florida is well underway. Here are some examples: Reef deployment: The Ocean Rescue Alliance International , a nonprofit that works with cities such as Hollywood, deploys artificial coral reefs that protect the shoreline, provide habitat for marine life and offer diving opportunities. ORAI has developed a Coral Lok system to make planting coral more efficient. Their base structures have slots for screws. Divers can simply screw in corals growing on threaded plugs. Reefs as protection: The University of Miami’s X-REEFS project , funded in part by the Department of Defense, is developing hybrid reefs that both protect the human world from waves and reap the ecological benefits of a coral reef. Key to building the artificial reefs are modular structures called SEAHIVEs, hexagonal concrete pieces designed with holes that optimally disrupt wave energy and invite marine life to make a home. UM is also attempting to breed corals that can withstand marine heat waves and disease. These corals could be planted on the artificial reef structures and add mass to the reef over time, even as seas rise. Aquaculture : New aquaculture ventures are launching. This month, Everglades Oysters seeded their first batch of oysters. The farm sits just north of Chokoloskee near the 10,000 Islands and Everglades National Park. They plan to eventually harvest with a new technology called FlipFarm, which allows farmers to easily flip oyster cages, keeping the bivalves healthy. Building better seawalls: Miami-based Kind Designs , backed in part by Mark Cuban, uses 3D printing to produce what they call Living Seawalls, which replace flat seawalls with a rippled wall that emulates the nooks and crannies of a coral reef or mangrove roots. Sea life thrives, and the walls break up wave energy instead of reflecting it back into the estuary, where it can damage shorelines. They also offer Kind Tiles, that do much the same thing. Finding a southern seaweed: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently gave a $250,000 grant to the University of Florida to investigate seaweed aquaculture in Florida’s tropical waters. Though most seaweed aquaculture is done in cold water, UF hopes to identify warm-water seaweed species and kick-start an industry that both boosts Florida’s economy and benefits its environment. Potential uses include seaweed as a replacement for some plastic packaging, nutritional supplements, animal feed, cosmetics and biofuels Seagrass and oyster restoration: Winter Garden-based Sea & Shoreline restores ecosystems. Much of their business is a reaction to harmful algae blooms that snuff out seagrass meadows and pummel ecosystems. They replant and maintain seagrass areas to boost local economies via ecotourism and fishing opportunities. They also build living shorelines to help marine life and protect human properties, and restore oyster reefs, which filter pollutants. Climate change and nutrient runoff make each of these a growth industry. Harnessing the Gulf Stream: The United States Department of Energy recently awarded FAU an $800,000 grant to study how to harness the vast power of the Gulf Stream, which flows a few miles off shore. DOE studies have previously calculated that the Florida section of this immense ocean current could produces as much energy as three nuclear power plants. The FUA feasibility study will conduct ocean current tests off of Palm Beach County, where the Gulf Stream cuts close to land. Bill Kearney covers the environment, the outdoors and tropical weather. He can be reached at bkearney@sunsentinel.com . Follow him on Instagram @billkearney or on X @billkearney6 .This 'Buy One, Get One Free' Plane Ticket Hack Can Help You Save on Holiday Travel