Tampa Bay Bucks Another Trend - Environmentalists Flock to Region

By Victoria Parsons

Quick ’Äì which Florida city is home to the largest group of marine researchers in the southeast?

If you guessed the University of Miami’Äôs 43-year-old marine science program or the 600-acre Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, you’Äôd be wrong.

In fact, the scientists working near downtown St. Petersburg in a complex that includes the University of South Florida’Äôs College of Marine Science and Center for Ocean Technology, plus the Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute, U.S. Geological Survey’Äôs Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, Florida Institute of Oceanography, Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the National Marine Fisheries Service now comprise a group of marine researchers that is probably the fifth largest in the nation.

While the average resident may not appreciate that accomplishment, St. Petersburg is recognized by its peers across the country. ’ÄúWe get 85% of the students we want, even when their other choices are Scripps (Institution of Oceanography at the University of California) or Woods Hole (Marine Biological Lab in Massachusetts),’Äù says Peter Betzer, USF’Äôs dean of marine sciences since 1983.

The star power under Betzer’Äôs tent, including the pacesetting Center for Ocean Technology, has reportedly attracted interest from Silicon Valley’Äôs SRI, one of the one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Although non-disclosure agreements are in force, multiple meetings in St. Petersburg continue and sources predict a formal announcement later this summer.

’ÄúThere are a lot of people around the country scratching their heads and wondering what we’Äôre doing down here,’Äù Betzer said. ’ÄúWe’Äôre still under the radar screen for a lot of people but other people are realizing that there just isn’Äôt anywhere else like this in the state.’Äù

For years, Florida’Äôs economic development engine has been turbo-charged by tourism. People came for a visit, liked what they saw, and came back to live and work here. To some degree, that’Äôs happening now with a critical mass of innovative educational opportunities in environmental sciences. Students come to Tampa Bay for the region’Äôs nationally recognized programs, learn about the unique opportunities and meet practicing professionals, then decide to stay here and work.

And while reports from across the nation indicate declining enrollment in science and natural resource programs, enrollment in environmentally oriented programs at Tampa Bay universities is staying steady or even growing as the region gains national and international stature.

The Rules are Different Here

Tampa Bay’Äôs location automatically makes it attractive to budding marine scientists who can study Florida’Äôs largest estuary and the Gulf of Mexico. Across the country, the Tampa Bay is recognized as a rare success, a place where water quality has improved even as the region’Äôs population has skyrocketed.

At USF’Äôs St. Petersburg campus, putting engineers in the same building with scientists helped lead to innovations ranging from remote sensors that can measure chemicals in seawater down to parts per trillion to side-scanning lasers capable of detecting explosives and other contraband on ship hulls

The difference, says Betzer, is that biologists share the same hallways and water coolers as engineers so when someone in a lab dreams up an idea, there’Äôs an engineer around the corner who can help to build a system that’Äôs usable and functional.

A similar tack of integrating science with policy and communications helped put USF’Äôs department of environmental science and policy on the map. ’ÄúIt’Äôs becoming more common since we started in 1995, but at the time it was a different approach,’Äù said Rick Oches, department chair. ’ÄúScientists aren’Äôt always good communicators but in the world of regulatory agencies and consultancies, you need to communicate well.’Äù

Newly merged with the geography department, professors participating in the environmental science and policy program come from diverse departments including the expected biology, botany and geology to political science, philosophy, economics, engineering and public health. All students are required to take core classes in both science and policy or environmental law. ’ÄúWe’Äôre graduating well-rounded citizens not technicians,’Äù he said.

The success of the program can be seen with the number of graduates in agencies and offices across the region, as well as the response to an ad last year for a water resource specialist. ’ÄúWe had 99 applications from across the country ’Äì and a real challenge narrowing them down,’Äù Oches said.

Along with the USF programs, both University of Tampa and Eckerd College have strong undergraduate programs that attract students from across the country and around the world. In fact, UT’Äôs biology program has the largest enrollment on campus and continues to grow, according to Stanley Rice, biology professor. ’ÄúWe recruit heavily in the northeast and the midwest and since there are a lot of students who want to study marine sciences in Florida, we’Äôve been very successful.’Äù

Tampa Bay also benefits from nationally recognized faculty who conduct ongoing research in areas like seahorses, crabs, shrimp and polychaetes. ’ÄúOur faculty is doing some very impressive research, and students from other universities often come here to conduct thesis research,’Äù Rice notes.

Location also is a key factor in Eckerd’Äôs marine sciences curriculum that include four separate programs -- marine biology, marine chemistry, marine geology and marine geophysics, as well as an environmental science program that combines policy, economic and communications classes. ’ÄúI think we’Äôre somewhat unusual to have that degree of specialization at the undergraduate level,’Äù notes Elizabeth Forys, a professor of biology and environmental sciences at Eckerd.

Ongoing research ’Äì aboard one of the college’Äôs four vessels or on land ’Äì also is part of the curriculum. For instance, Forys and her students have been working with St. Petersburg Audubon Society tracking colonies of least terns and other colonial birds. Students also are required to complete an internship with a local agency or organization prior to graduation, a requirement that often leads to full-time employment.

Supply and Demand Generally Balanced

Tampa Bay ’Äì both the region and body of water ’Äì benefit from the influx of students, particularly at a time when national trends indicate a decline in students in natural sciences. Instead of seeing a shortage in newly minted biologists or botanists, most professionals report that the balance between new grads and job openings is just about right, with a few exceptions. (see related story, page __) ’ÄúWe could graduate more students if the demand were there but right now there’Äôs a good balance between graduates and the job market,’Äù Oches said.

’ÄúNot all of our students stay in the region, but most of them who want to can find a job in a couple of months,’Äù adds Forys.

Agencies and organizations are generally pleased with the quality of professionals being graduated. ’ÄúI think it’Äôs a good curricula and I’Äôm pleased with the graduates,’Äù notes Richard Garrity, executive director of the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, who has hired students from local universities as well as University of Florida, Florida State and Florida Atlantic.

’ÄúI wouldn’Äôt say there’Äôs an overage, but if we have an opening, we usually get 12 fairly qualified graduates in a couple of weeks,’Äù adds Bruce Hasbrouck, president of the Tampa Bay Association of Environmental Professionals and former president of the national organization.

Qualified, he adds, with appropriate expectations. ’ÄúWe can’Äôt assume that they’Äôll get out of school and know how to fill out a permit application form or how to identify every species in a wetland, but they can ID the basic species in a wetland and know whether they’Äôre invasive or not,’Äù he said. ’ÄúThey’Äôre coming out with a good understanding of the basic concepts and we can teach them how to apply that knowledge on the job.’Äù

As vice president and environmental services director for a firm of consulting engineers, Hasbrouck is a perfect example of why job opportunities for environmental professionals continue to grow. ’ÄúFor many years, the environmental impact of a project was such a small part that the engineers did it themselves, but that’Äôs changed. It’Äôs almost impossible now to do any real work ’Äì from housing to bridges or desal plants and reservoirs ’Äì without have an environmental professional on the team.’Äù

But today’Äôs graduates typically come to the table with a different mindset than those who drove the environmental movements of the 1970s and ’Äò80s, perhaps because the issues are different. Rather than fighting to stop raw sewage being dumped into Tampa Bay or dredge-and-fill developments that destroy underwater habitats, they’Äôre focused more on ensuring adequate flows of fresh water and enhancing remaining habitat.

’ÄúI don’Äôt know that they’Äôre crusaders,’Äù comments EPC’Äôs Garrity. ’ÄúThey have a good solid foundation and understand the issues, but they’Äôre professionals who are able to see all sides of the issue and make good decisions based on the best science.’Äù

Dick Eckenrod, director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, concurs. ’ÄúWe’Äôre not seeing the advocates, the people who are carrying a torch, but we are graduating a lot of well-trained professionals.’Äù