Seagrasses are extremely valuable to the state of Florida – because of both the economical and ecological value that they bring to the state. The FDEP goes as far as stating in their Article “Guidance on Surveys for Potential Impacts to Submerged Aquatic Vegetation” that seagrass are deemed essential to the oceans, gulfs, estuaries and shorelines of the state according to Section 253.04(3)(a) Florida Statutes (F.S.). As a result of the value they provide to the state, they are extremely protected by regulatory agencies such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Army Corps of Engineers (USASOE) that have different regulations set in place to ensure their protection stays intact.

One of the main requirements that is typically requested when there are seagrasses at a proposed project site is a seagrass survey to show the current coverage of seagrasses at the location. The FDEP directly states in the same article referenced above that “the department requires reasonable assurance the permitted activities will not adversely fest the habitat of fish, wildlife, and listed species, including SAV habitats” therefore by completing and providing a seagrass survey the department is able to review the proposed project and determine if the impacts to the seagrass environmental will be minimal or if an alternative project design needs to be proposed. The FDEP states that seagrass surveys should contain “all SAV resources that may be directly or indirectly impacted by construction activities.” Based on the information obtain from seagrass surveys regulatory agencies will provide the applicant with practicable measures that can be implemented to avoid or minimize potential impacts and if for some season impacts are unavoidable, mitigation can be required to ensure no net loss of any vital functions to our environment as stated by the FDEP. 

In order to have a better idea of where seagrasses are present throughout the state there are also regularly scheduled seagrass mappings by the different districts that are conducted, as the South West Florida Water Management States in their Seagrass Mapping Article, “as a way to take the pulse of the estuary.” Based on this information scientists and regulatory agencies in the state of Florida are able to determine the health of the environment since seagrasses are sensitive to the environment and as a result they are the perfect indicators of estuarine health. 

Although the state of Florida has mostly warm temperatures for the entirety of the year, the FDEP still has guidelines on when seagrass surveys should be completed in order to ensure capturing the optimal cover of seagrasses. They department states that they should be completed between during peak growing season, specifically June 1st and September 30th in order to be consistent with federal requirements, but under some circumstances “the department may accept SAV surveys from April to October in most of the state and year-round surveys may be acceptable in Monroe county and southern Dade County. 

Below is a list of 3 companies who conduct seagrass surveys in South Florida: 

1. Ardea Environmental Consultants – Ardea Environmental Consultants is a small, women-owned consulting firm that provide different environmental services in Fort Pierce, Florida. They are environmental professionals with over 50 years of collective experience in Florida, Alabama, and Texas and their survey specialties include: Seagrass/Benthic Resource Surveys, Wetland Delineations, Mangrove Assessments, Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM) analysis, Shorebird surveys, and Dune vegetation surveys.
2. Waters Edge Marine Inspections – Waters Edge Marine Inspections is privately owned and operated by Norma Jean Jalovec, who personally completes every dive. Norma offers her clients an excess of 20 years experience in the field of marine construction, related fields of building, and construction law.
3. Hydros Marine Construction – Hydros Marine Construction specializes in seawall repair throughout South Florida but they also offer seagrass surveys as a service if requested.