Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Program Strategic Science Plan
Program Management Committee. 2004. Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Program Strategic Science Plan
The Program Management Committee (PMC) of the Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Program identifies, prioritizes and coordinates science activities in support of both overall South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and individual (participating) agency natural resource or environmental management mandates. Since 1997 the science program has been organized around five central questions that directed efforts at identifying the basic structure of the Florida Bay ecosystem and the underlying causes of specific changes. The 2004 strategic plan builds on the results of these efforts by 'moving the existing science forward' to a more predictive state in order to help guide restoration planning and implementation and natural resource management. To operate in a predictive state implies the use of models. Therefore, models and the information needed to support them are used as the organizing principle to identify and prioritize science information needs in Florida Bay. While predicting ecosystem response to restoration activities represents a fundamental shift and great demand upon the PMC program, critical information gaps will continue to be identified and addressed to support the needs of individual participating agency mandates. Information needs for adjacent marine systems are described in the science plans for Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and included as appendices to this document.