Okaloosa County BOCC — June 2, 2015 — UM Taylor Engineering LOS FAD

Division of Marine Affairs and Policy 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149-1031 Phone: +1 (305) 421-4085 Fax: +1 (305) 421-4675 Web Site: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu             Commissioner Kelly Windes, Chairman Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd - Suite 100 Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32547 March 27, 2014 RE: Anchoring buoy(s) for fishing in the deep Gulf offshore Okaloosa County Dear Mr. Windes, This letter is to reiterate my support for the proposed installation of anchoring buoy(s) offshore of Okaloosa County, Florida. Having reviewed the scope of services outlined by Taylor Engineering for the preliminary stage of this project, I am pleased to see that a thorough analysis of issues surrounding the installation and management of the buoy system will be completed. Given the well-documented fish attracting attributes of such structures, the proposed fish attracting devices (FADs) will certainly result in attractive angler opportunities for the fishing community. Having spent the better part of my career working in the offshore aquaculture sector, I have seen firsthand the amount of marine life that can be attracted to offshore structures, such as those proposed in this project. Additionally, a well-designed and well-placed offshore buoy system may offer the scientific community a platform to which monitoring devices may be attached, thereby allowing for remote atmospheric and aquatic data collection in this challenging environment. Such data collection will be a vital component in our effort to further understand the pelagic environment of the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, given the importance of the recreational fishing offshore of northwest Florida, implementing a FAD project will most likely be an asset for the majority of the stakeholders in the entire Gulf of Mexico (GOM) region. While some scientists may argue that FADs simply congregate marine life, as opposed to offering increased habitat (i.e. additional carrying capacity), it takes a project such as this one to accurately determine the long-term effects of FADs in the northwest Gulf. Previous reports from other tropical and subtropical seas indicate an overall positive net benefit of pelagic FAD projects, with the key to such benefits being the location and management of the FADs. As a scientist working in the field for over 30 years, I find the countless research opportunities afforded by the proposed project exciting. I’m certain that there are numerous opportunities for research collaborations that would likely stimulate interest from local and regional fisheries managers, academic institutions, and other marine research / restoration facilities such as the Gulf Coast Marine Life Center (GCMLC) located in Okaloosa County. Sincerely, Daniel D. Benetti, Ph.D. Professor & Director of Aquaculture Email: dbenetti@rsmas.miami.edu http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/people/faculty-index/?p=daniel-benetti http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/aquaculture http://UMaquaculture.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Division of Marine Affairs and Policy Phone: +1 (305) 421-4085; Office direct +1 (305) 421-4889  Fax: +1 (305) 421-4675 Website: www.rsmas.miami.edu