Managing the impacts of sea level rise will require adapting human activities in the coming decades through decisive policies, programs and actions so that critical human systems — communities, economies, emergency response systems — and natural resources —  wetlands, coastal ecosystems, fisheries — can continue to function effectively as ‘resilient' systems in the face of climate change.

Scientists advise that many anticipated impacts from sea level rise can be addressed through early planning and well-designed adaptive responses.

Throughout 2008 and 2009, the Marine Policy Institute took on the task of looking at the policy tools and opportunities already in existance that can help local Florida governments develop strategies to deal with climate-associated sea level rise. This new policy assessment, titled "Policy Tools for Local Adaptation to Sea Level Rise," is currently in draft format but available here for public review.

A synopsis of the report is also available by clicking here. The synopsis condenses main issues and observations from the full report and abstracts the full assessment in the following sections:

• Basics about climate change science and sea level rise
• Highlights from Policy Tools for Local Adaptation to Sea Level Rise
• Key principles of adaptation from emerging experience
• Leadership opportunities going forward

On Oct. 12 and 13, 2009, the Marine Policy Institute presented a two-day symposium at Mote Marine Laboratory focused on coastal zone planning in the context of changing land-sea interactions in the Southwest Florida region. The symposium focused on the growth management challenges posed by sea-level rise.

Topics included:

• Land use and associated property rights issues
• Emergency preparedness and post-disaster planning
• Leadership roles for the public and private sectors, including local, state and federal governments
• Regional governance capacity building

• Opening Remarks: Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, President, Mote Marine Laboratory
• Framing the Problem: Morning Overview. Dr. Mike Orbach, Professor Marine Affairs and Policy, Duke University
• Demographic and Economic Trends for Southwest Florida. Dr. Sean Snaith, Director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness within the College of Business Administration at the University of Central Florida
• Sea-level Rise Trends for Florida. Dr. Ernie Estevez, Director, Mote's Center for Coastal Ecology and member of the Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council
• Coastal Hazard Vulnerability in Sarasota County, Florida. Dr. Tim Frazier, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Idaho and Penn State University Project on Influence of Sea Level Rise on Societal Vulnerability to Hurricane Storm-Surge Hazards
• The Inconvenient Truth of Sea-Level Rise in Florida: Are we ready? Dr. James Murley, Assistant Dean, External Affairs, College of Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs, FAU Chair, Florida Energy and Climate Commission
• Governance Frameworks and Policy Tools. Barbara Lausche, Deputy Director, Marine Policy Institute at Mote
• Senate Bill 360: Intent and Implications. Florida Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton
• Comprehensive Management Planning. Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton
• Florida Forever and Public/Private Conservation Initiatives. Janet Bowman, Associate Director of Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy
• Local Government Conservation Tools. Brooke Elias, Land Protection Coordinator, Sarasota County
• Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning. Laird Wreford, Coastal Resources Manager, Sarasota County
• Day One Closing Remarks. Dr. Michael Orbach, Barbara Lausche

• Day Two Opening Remarks: Dr. Frank Alcock, Director, Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory
• A Development Sector Perspective. Rex Jensen, President and CEO, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch
• Capacity Building: Perspective of Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. James Beever, Principle Planner, Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council
• Capacity Building: Perspective of Southwest Florida Water Management District. Maya Burke, Planner, Southwest Florida Water Management District
• Linking Regional to State Capacity Building. Steve Seibert, Senior Vice President and Director of Policy at the Collins Center for Public Policy and former Secretary for the Florida Department of Community Affairs
• Building Capacity and Cultivating Leadership in the Southwest Florida Region. Teri Hansen, President and CEO, Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice
• Leadership. David Klement, Director, Institute for Public Policy and Leadership at University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee Campus
• Leadership from State Government. State Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota
• Leadership: Private Sector Perspectives. Pam Truitt, President and CEO, Truitt Consulting, former Chairwoman of the Board, Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and 2009 Sarasota Businesswoman of the Year
• Leadership: The Environmental Advocacy Community. Susan Glickman, Climate and Energy Advocate and Consultant to National Resources Defense Council
• Concluding Remarks: What have we learned and where do we go from here? Dr. Frank Alcock

Other Policy Assessments

• The Marine Policy Institute's first assessment was released in 2007. An Assessment of Florida Red Tide: Causes, Consequences and Management Strategies" offered an overview of past and current red tide research and provided recommendations for future efforts. The assessment called for scientists, policymakers, stakeholders and the public to move beyond polarizing debate surrounding red tide research and focus on a more comprehensive red tide response strategy.
  Click here for more.