UF IFAS Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program

Bryan Fluech has been the Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent in Collier County since 2006. His responsibilities include planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive marine and natural resource educational programs that focus on marine recreational and commercial fisheries, seafood safety and sustainability, coastal ecosystem health and stewardship, and marine/environmental education. Bryan conducts issue-based educational programs through workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars, publications, and electronic media. His stakeholders include members of the recreational and commercial fishing sectors, marine and coastal resource users, marine management agencies, public and private organizations, youth groups, and educational institutions.
Examples of Bryan’s extension work include teaching workshops on marine fisheries regulations, coordinating a countywide fishing line recycling program and organizing artificial reef clean ups, running youth fishing camps, teaching the Florida Master Naturalist Program, co-organizing and facilitating the 2010 Florida artificial reef summit, conducting seafood safety and sustainability webinars, and organizing aquatic species collectors permit workshops for informal and formal educators. He has developed and delivered dozens of presentations to a variety of audiences on topics such reef fish identification, proper seafood handling practices, catch and release fishing practices, coastal ecology, shark biology, and fisheries management. Bryan’s extension work also includes creating publications such as fact sheets, newspaper and newsletter articles, posters, displays, and videos to support his program efforts. He also writes a blog that highlights his extension work, and provides insightful information marine-related issues.