Institute for Energy Systems, Economics, and Sustainability

On February 1st, The FSU Institute for Energy Systems, Economics and Sustainability hosted over 100 elected officials, representatives of governmental organizations, the public and private sectors at:

The Florida Symposium on Offshore Energy-Part II: The Inshore Challenges of Offshore Energy Prospects

Watch Symposium Part II Here

This symposium considered how to manage the special ecological, spatial, and legal issues of energy development in the coastal zone of Florida, with an emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico. Two expert panels will present the environmental and legal framework of the issues, particularly addressing the spatial aspects such as defining lease areas and identifying ecologically sensitive zones. Key knowledge and data gaps were identified.
Keynote Speaker	"Management Challenges for Energy Development and Ecosystem Sustainability in the Gulf"
	Jack Smith Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP Charleston, South Carolina

Gulf Ecology - The Past, Present and Future Demands for Baseline Ecological Research in the Gulf of Mexico This panel focused on the ecological milieu of Florida's marine habitats from the shore to the abyss. It addressed the possible ecological effects of human activities on marine ecosystems and the scientific approaches needed to document those effects. The panel began with the historical context of ecological research conducted in the Gulf of Mexico as it relates to energy development. It continued with an exploration of the unique ecological characteristics of the West Florida Shelf and coastal zone while addressing the linkages between inshore and offshore waters. The panel continued with a focused talk on the consequences of energy exploration and development on marine mammals. Further, the panel addressed the scientific obstacles and solutions to quantifying effects of specific human activities - a requirement for effective environmental management and policy. In the process, the panel described the physical and biological components that interface with the legal aspects of managing these resources in a spatial context.
"Life on the Edge - Ecological Connectivity Across the Shelf & the Influence of Human-Induced Impacts"	"Effects of noise from oil and gas exploration and production on marine life: Status and gaps in scientific data to support conservation management"	"Quantifying Ecological Effects: Science in Lieu of Conjecture"	"An Overview of Energy-Related Ecological Research from the Gulf of Mexico"
Felicia Coleman Director The Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory Ecology Panel Chair	Brandon Southall Research Associate at the University of California, Santa Cruz and Senior Scientist Southall Environmental Associates, Inc.	Craig W. Osenberg Professor of Zoology University of Florida	Ian MacDonald Professor of Oceanography The Florida State University Chair of the Symposium Series

Regulatory Waters-The Regulation of Offshore Energy and Its Ecological Impacts This panel explored the law and policy framework for assessing, authorizing, and mitigating environmental impacts from oil, gas, and renewable energy activity in Florida's Gulf of Mexico waters and coastal regions. In addition to providing an overview of the legal regimes governing the marine environment, panelists discussed environmental permitting systems for development and placement of facilities in offshore and onshore areas as well as methods for "zoning" different uses in ocean and coastal waters. The Panel focused on legal implications of environmental impacts in the coastal and onshore regions from energy industry, transportation, transmission and storage activities.
	"'Zoning' the Gulf - Marine Protected Areas and Regulation of the Location of Offshore Energy Sources"	"Regulatory Programs Governing Coastal Oil & Gas Infrastructure and Its Ecological Impacts"	"Regulatory Programs Governing Offshore Energy Infrastructure Permitting"
J.B. Ruhl Professor of Law The Florida State University Policy Panel Chair	Robin Kundis Craig Associate Dean for Environmental Programs College of Law The Florida State University	Mark Davis Director The Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy Tulane University Law School	Laura Smith Morton Sr. Counsel at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Washington, D.C.

Symposium Part II Sponsors include FSU's Office of Research, Institute for Energy Systems, Economics and Sustainability, the Environmental and Land Use Law Program at the College of Law and the Departments of Oceanography and Biological Sciences. Also sponsored by the Tallahassee Democrat. Watch for updates on the IESES website or contact Melanie Simmons at 850-645-9165 or msimmons@fsu.edu for more information.