Section 68B-8.008 - Florida Marine Science Educators Association Certification(1) PURPOSE. This section describes a Commission partnership with the Florida Marine Science Educators Association (FMSEA) that provides an alternative to the formal SAL application process to conduct educational activities with aquatic organisms. The FMSEA Certification is a more streamlined process designed to cater to the smaller collecting needs of the educational community as opposed to the larger and more complex collecting needs of SAL holders. A FMSEA Certification holder is exempt from a number of saltwater and freshwater resource regulations to allow him or her to collect and possess aquatic organisms for educational purposes.(2) ELIGIBILITY. FMSEA Certification may be issued only to the following:(a) An instructor employed by, or under sponsorship of, an elementary or secondary school.(b) An instructor employed by, or under sponsorship of, another educational institution or organization with courses of biological or aquatic studies.(c) An individual who teaches in a home education program maintained in accordance with Section 1002.41, F.S.(d) A representative of a home education program association.(3) WORKSHOP CURRICULUM. FMSEA Certification requires successful completion of a training workshop. The primary workshop objective is to promote best practices in the collection and maintenance of aquatic organisms for educational activities. A curriculum has been established to achieve the primary workshop objective and includes but is not limited to: (a) Rationale for collecting aquatic organisms.(b) Alternatives to the collection of live aquatic organisms.(d) Minimization of environmental impacts.(e) Minimization of aquatic organism mortality.(g) Appropriate gear deployment and use.(h) Establishment of collecting teams.(i) Collection and documentation of field data.(4) CERTIFICATION DOCUMENTATION. Upon successful completion of the training workshop, a participant receives a certification that is authorized by both FMSEA and Commission representatives. The certification:(a) Authorizes the harvest of certain fresh and saltwater organisms and specifies bag and possession limits.(b) Authorizes the use of specific scientific, educational, and recreational harvesting gears.(c) Specifies the fresh and saltwater areas in which harvest of aquatic organisms is allowed.(d) Provides an exemption from local laws when harvesting in a designated saltwater area.(5) GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS. The holder of a FMSEA Certification is subject to the General Conditions and Restrictions in paragraphs 68B-8.003(1)(a), (2)(b), subsections (3), (4), (5), paragraph (6)(b), subsections (7), (8), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), and (15), F.A.C.Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-8.008
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const.
New 7-1-04, Amended 11-19-09.New 7-1-04, Amended 11-19-09.