Victor Blanco Receives 2024 Don Sweat Award for Exemplary Marine Extension Work in Taylor County – Cyber Tech

Victor Blanco, Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS Extension Agent in Taylor County, has been offered the distinguished 2024 Don Sweat Sea Grant Extension Award.  

The award was created to honor the retirement of the late Don Sweat, a trailblazer in Florida Sea Grant’s early Marine Extension programming.  This accolade is offered yearly upon a Florida Sea Grant agent who embodies the motto “Science Serving Florida’s Coast.” The recipient is acknowledged for displaying initiative, innovation, creativity, and management of their extension programming.

“Receiving this award means so much to me, as it’s an award for brokers, made by brokers,” says Blanco. “It’s a means on your friends to let the affect of your work on them. I really feel honored to be included in such an unbelievable and gifted group of friends with this award, and additionally it is a technique to keep motivated, to maintain creating, and to maintain working for our group.”

All through his spectacular eight-year profession, Victor Blanco has been devoted to numerous applications addressing leisure fishing, scallop harvesting, synthetic reef monitoring, marine habitat conservation, and enhanced navigational security in county waterways. His extension efforts cater to a various viewers, together with adults and youth from Ok-12, 4-H, and homeschooling communities.

Prior to now yr, Blanco showcased his creativity by integrating SCUBA diving into environmental literacy initiatives. Noteworthy applications included organizing a 4-H Youth Summer season Dive camp and incomes certification as a Handicapped Scuba Affiliation (HSA) Teacher. He launched an inclusive “Attempt Scuba” course for people with disabilities, using underwater instruments for modern environmental schooling.

“In doing this, Victor [Blanco] is actively addressing the necessary matter of Variety, Fairness and Inclusion, opening up experiential studying alternatives to an viewers that traditionally has been restricted,” says Ana Zangroniz, Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS  Extension Agent for Miami-Dade County.

Blanco instructing a Scuba Diving Workshop for Individuals with Disabilities at College of Florida‘s Florida Pool.

Partaking in citizen science, Blanco collaborates with varied teams, together with leisure SCUBA divers, snorkelers, and youth in applications just like the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch and synthetic reef monitoring. Collaborating with useful resource managers, Blanco has labored to deal with marine particles points and made a big affect, eradicating 876 derelict traps and two vessels in 2022. He additionally assisted in putting in practically 15 navigational markers to boost boating security.

In his involvement with the leisure scallop fishery, Blanco facilitated a compromise when lobbying for an extended harvest season. This resulted in an prolonged season with decrease harvest limits, in impact this yr. Moreover, he launched the idea of a pocket-size scallop sorter as an efficient non-regulatory harvesting software. As of the 2023 season, 1,578 sorters have been distributed to forestall the harvesting of smaller scallops and contribute to the sustainability of the native scallop inhabitants.

“From my very own private expertise scalloping with my household in Steinhatchee, I can bear witness that Victor’s contributions to Taylor County are appreciated. Over the past a number of years, I’ve booked scalloping journeys with 2 native captains who’ve expressed their gratitude and respect for Victor’s work on behalf of the county. I may collect from them that his presence within the county is extensively appreciated,” says Vincent Encomio,  Florida Sea Grant UF/IFAS Multi-County Extension Agent for Martin and St. Lucie Counties.

Blanco’s public schooling efforts prolong to native media shops, with award-winning radio broadcasts “Marine Science Minute” and YouTube movies offering scientific coaching for the diving group. His inventive strategy additionally features a cartoon sequence educating youth about marine science and native subjects. Moreover, Blanco contributed considerably by translating well being advisory indicators on cyanobacteria for Martin County’s well being division, addressing an important hole in native efforts. The revised signal now advantages Spanish-speaking residents in areas vulnerable to cyanobacterial blooms.

Victor Blanco’s contributions underscore his distinctive dedication to marine conservation and schooling in Taylor County.