Marine & Environmental Activities

With its location on the Gulf coast and its strong existing research capabilities in marine sciences, the Tampa Bay region is strategically positioned to carry out Marine & Environmental Activities. Although Tampa Bay’s marine and environmental industry already conducts significant marine science research, a large degree of the activities in the region are in the innovation and R&D phases, so this sector is still in a nascent phase in the region in terms of its commercial potential.

 As such, the niches highlighted in this target sector focus on developing commercial and business applications from the marine and environmental industry’s  already strong research/innovation capabilities in the marine sciences. Within environmental  industry, a significant opportunity exists to promote energy conservation and efficiency projects, not only for the savings associated with them but also to help to relieve the significant job losses in construction that the region has experienced as a result of the economic downturn. Core niches in this target sector include the following:

• Aquaculture Industry

  • Cultivation and production of aquatic animals and plants in a controlled aquatic environment, an approach that is growing due to high U.S. demand for seafood and lower yields from wildlife fisheries.
  • The Tampa Bay region has the geographic/weather conditions and agricultural legacy to become a leader in inland aquaculture for controlled and sustainable seafood production
     

• Biofuels / Algae

  • The Tampa Bay Marine and Environmental Industry has an opportunity to build off of its regional marine science and technology assets (and the national focus on renewable energy) to develop new regional assets and become a leader in this niche.
     

• Energy Efficiency & Conservation

  • Focuses on investments that improve the efficiency of buildings or machinery to reduce energy costs and enhance sustainability
  • Promote investments in energy upgrades for existing structures
  • Has important crossover synergies with the recommendation to focus on universal design for the elderly/disabled, under the Health & Human Performance target sector
    
    

• Marine Instruments, Sensors, Remote Monitors, & Optics

  • Focuses on the design, development, commercialization, and production of sophisticated marine instruments and related electronics
    
     

Learn more about the Regional Business Plan for Tampa Bay