Florida Institute of Oceanography

William "Bill" Hogarth

The Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), located on the campus of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, is an independent entity of the State University System of Florida that works collaboratively with 20 institutions and agencies from across the state that support marine research.

FIO operates two research vessels, R/V Bellows and R/V Weatherbird II, newly acquired state of the art research vessel, and it co-manages the Keys Marine Laboratory on Long Key with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

For more than four decades, the Florida Institute of Oceanography has unified marine science interests across Florida in the cause of understanding and stewardship of the coastal oceans. Now entering its 45th year, FIO is taking a leading national role in the scientific assessment of the impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Members

The institute is governed by the FIO Council. Council members serve two-year terms and are active members of the Florida oceanographic science and education community. In addition to advising the FIO leadership regarding statewide collaboration in oceanographic science and education, the council’s key duty is to plan and align legislative budget requests with strategic priorities.

Research

FIO has emerged as a key research organization on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with the award of $10 million from oil company BP. In an application process which began in June 2010, the FIO received more than 200 proposals from researchers totaling more than $60 million. To apply for funding, scientists were asked to develop research proposals related to the following scientific priorities in spill research:

Determine the properties, distribution, and extent of the oil spill and dispersants. Conduct baseline studies and impact assessments to provide the basis for long-term monitoring. Contribute to an integrated coastal and ocean observing system, and improve modeling capabilities for forecasting environmental impacts related to the oil spill. Develop and implement systems for data integration, synthesis, sharing, and dissemination. Develop and implement strategies to protect and restore habitats and species. Priority will be given to projects that are collaborative between two or more FIO members and/or the Northern Gulf Institute and Louisiana State University, which also received BP funding for initial research.