Start Date
4-1973 8:00 AM
Description
Florida's State Marine Research Laboratory, a part of the Florida Department of Natural Resources headed by Mr. Randolph Hodges, was founded in 1955 to do basic natural history biology on marine species of commercial and sports importance and to delve into the value and worth of the estuarine environment. The entire staff was composed of one technician, one biologist and a Director of Research, Mr. R. M. Ingle, who founded the Lab. The entire budget, excluding salaries, was $15,000 and the base of operations was a small building on the old Maritime Base at Bayboro Harbor in St. Petersburg, Florida. The general attitude of the State at that time was that shallow submerged areas (estuaries) were stinking mudholes and fit only for "improvement," which meant to dredge and fill for waterfront homesites. The Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, who own all public lands in the State of Florida, were selling these "wastelands" for as little as $1.50 per acre.
This was the setting into which state marine research efforts were formally born. Through the years many changes were wrought by this relatively small but growing, always understaffed, and often underfunded group. Early research on shrimp and a variety of important fishes began to indicate the tremendous value of the near shore shallow grassflats to the well being and survival of most of these species. Our work, coupled with that from a variety of other estuarine federal and private research labs all contributed to what is now often referred to as the "nursery ground concept" of estuarine areas. Indeed, it is now estimated that from 75 to 90% of all marine species of sport and commercial importance depend (usually during the early juvenile life stages) on the nursery grounds for nourishment, protection and survival.
Florida's State Marine Research Moves into the Space Age
Florida's State Marine Research Laboratory, a part of the Florida Department of Natural Resources headed by Mr. Randolph Hodges, was founded in 1955 to do basic natural history biology on marine species of commercial and sports importance and to delve into the value and worth of the estuarine environment. The entire staff was composed of one technician, one biologist and a Director of Research, Mr. R. M. Ingle, who founded the Lab. The entire budget, excluding salaries, was $15,000 and the base of operations was a small building on the old Maritime Base at Bayboro Harbor in St. Petersburg, Florida. The general attitude of the State at that time was that shallow submerged areas (estuaries) were stinking mudholes and fit only for "improvement," which meant to dredge and fill for waterfront homesites. The Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, who own all public lands in the State of Florida, were selling these "wastelands" for as little as $1.50 per acre.
This was the setting into which state marine research efforts were formally born. Through the years many changes were wrought by this relatively small but growing, always understaffed, and often underfunded group. Early research on shrimp and a variety of important fishes began to indicate the tremendous value of the near shore shallow grassflats to the well being and survival of most of these species. Our work, coupled with that from a variety of other estuarine federal and private research labs all contributed to what is now often referred to as the "nursery ground concept" of estuarine areas. Indeed, it is now estimated that from 75 to 90% of all marine species of sport and commercial importance depend (usually during the early juvenile life stages) on the nursery grounds for nourishment, protection and survival.
Comments
Ocean Sciences And Applications
Session Chairman: Hon. Randolph Hodges , Executive Director, Florida Department of Natural Resources, Tallahassee
Session Organizer: Raymond L. Norman, Unmanned Launch Operations, NASA, KSC
Special Advisor: Dr. Kerry B. Clark, Assistant Professor, Florida Institute of Technology
No other information or file available for this session.