Each summer, the Ports and Coastal Sciences group of CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) performs the majority of their scientific dive surveys in Florida to coincide with the primary growing season of marine benthic resources and calmer marine weather patterns.

Prior to the start of the field season, CSA implemented a company-wide COVID-19 Mitigation Plan, which included tailored mitigation strategies for working on small vessels, scientific diving, and field operations. Despite the pandemic, the Ports and Coastal Sciences group had one of its busiest field seasons to date, with over 100 field days and 690 dives performed throughout Florida coastal waters (including Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Collier, and Pinellas counties).

A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) resting along a hardbottom ledge off Ft. Pierce, Florida, observed during a nearshore hardbottom monitoring survey in July 2020.

Most of these projects were centered on the biological monitoring of seagrass, nearshore hardbottom, and coral communities for beach nourishment, coastal construction, and maintenance dredging projects.