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Holly Abeels

County agent

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Holly Abeels

Orcid ID0000-0003-2869-3614

County agent

Florida Sea Grant Profile

Publications

thumbnail for publication: Steps to Connecting Floridians to Living Shorelines

Steps to Connecting Floridians to Living Shorelines

Jesse Crawford, Ollie Montgomery, Marjorie Shropshire, Vincent Encomio, Savanna Barry, Laura K. Reynolds, Christine Rohal, Christine Rohal, Xiao Yu, Ashley McDonald, Holly Abeels, Annie Roddenberry, yCarrie Reinhardt Adams

The goal of this publication is to provide a roadmap of UF/IFAS and internet-accessible resources to living shorelines that will help coastal property owners or natural resource practitioners focused on coastal management. This information applies to the implementation of living shorelines on both private and managed lands. Across Florida, living shorelines are becoming a frequently used management tool for shoreline protection. Coastal armoring, in the form of seawalls, bulkheads, and concrete riprap, create an unnatural barrier to natural processes and can exacerbate sediment loss. As an alternative, living shorelines are shoreline stabilization methods that use planted vegetation and/or oyster reefs, sometimes in combination with other structures, to protect coastal properties. To most effectively plan a living shoreline, knowing when and where to start can be difficult. This publication maps out the broad steps for developing a living shoreline from start to finish.

thumbnail for publication: Artificial Reefs in Florida 101 – effects on fish: Part 2 of an Artificial Reef series

Artificial Reefs in Florida 101 – effects on fish: Part 2 of an Artificial Reef series

Lisa Chong, Angela B. Collins, Holly Abeels, Anna Braswell, Ana Zangroniz, Andrew Ropicki, Scott Jackson, and Edward V. Camp

Increasingly, coastal managers are placing artificial reefs in marine waters. These long-lasting habitat alterations have measurable effects on fish, fishers, divers, fisheries, and marine social ecological systems. Understanding how artificial reefs function is necessary to make good decisions about future artificial reefs. Scientific research on many aspects of artificial reefs is not always summarized and explained. In response to this need, we designed a 4-part series called Artificial Reefs 101. This publication, part 2 of the Artificial Reefs series, explains how artificial reefs affect fish populations. It will help the interested public understand more about the ecological effects of artificial reefs and provide detailed information to stakeholders including management agencies, local governments, artificial reef manufacturers, and Extension agents, to allow for better-informed decisions about building and managing artificial reefs.

thumbnail for publication: An update on Florida’s Artificial Reefs: recent deployments and trends

An update on Florida’s Artificial Reefs: recent deployments and trends

Edward V. Camp, Lawrence Jackson, Angela B. Collins, Holly Abeels, Michael J. Sipos, Brittany J. Scharf, Ana Zangroniz, Shelly L. Krueger, Victor J. Blanco Marquez, yLawrence S. Jackson

Popular marine habitat enhancements, artificial reefs can benefit sea life and humans. Floridians visit them every year to fish, dive, snorkel, or boat around. The number of artificial reefs is growing around Florida, but their function and impact are difficult to describe because artificial reefs change over time as they become encrusted with fouling organisms or altered by storms and shifting sands. As reefs change, expectations shift, and advances in research and monitoring allow us to learn more about them. This publication provides an update of Florida’s recent artificial reef activities. It focuses on new deployments, designs, and monitoring objectives from 2015 to 2021. It should help management agencies and outreach and education professionals understand recent trends in priorities. Fishing and diving clubs, monitoring programs, local artificial reef planners and coordinators, and other stakeholders can discover and share information learned across counties.

thumbnail for publication: Artificial Reefs in Florida 101: Effects on Fishers (and Divers)—Part 3 of an Artificial Reef Series

Artificial Reefs in Florida 101: Effects on Fishers (and Divers)—Part 3 of an Artificial Reef Series

Lawrence Jackson, Angela B. Collins, Holly Abeels, Anna Braswell, Ana Zangroniz, Andrew Ropicki, Lawrence S. Jackson, yEdward V. Camp

Increasingly, coastal managers are placing artificial reefs in marine waters. These long-lasting habitat alterations have measurable effects on fish, fishers, divers, fisheries, and marine social ecological systems. Understanding how artificial reefs function is necessary to make good decisions about future artificial reefs. Scientific research on many aspects of artificial reefs is not always summarized and explained. In response to this need, we designed a 4-part series called Artificial Reefs 101. This publication, part 3 of the Artificial Reefs series, explains how artificial reefs affect fishers and divers. It will help the interested public understand more about the ecological effects of artificial reefs and provide detailed information to stakeholders including management agencies, local governments, artificial reef manufacturers, and Extension agents, to allow for better-informed decisions about building and managing artificial reefs.

thumbnail for publication: Artificial Reefs in Florida 101 – effects on fisheries: Part 4 of an Artificial Reef series

Artificial Reefs in Florida 101 – effects on fisheries: Part 4 of an Artificial Reef series

Angela B. Collins, Holly Abeels, Anna Braswell, Andrew Ropicki, yEdward V. Camp

Increasingly, coastal managers are placing artificial reefs in marine waters. These long-lasting habitat alterations have measurable effects on fish, fishers, divers, fisheries, and marine social ecological systems. Understanding how artificial reefs function is necessary to make good decisions about future artificial reefs. Scientific research on many aspects of artificial reefs is not always summarized and explained. In response to this need, we designed a 4-part series called Artificial Reefs 101. This publication, part 4 of the Artificial Reefs series, explores a complicated but fascinating aspect of artificial reefs—should we expect them to lead to better fishing in the long run? Many people think artificial reefs should be a “win-win” since both fish and fishers seem to like them. But it is increasingly apparent that they are likely to increase fishing mortality more than they increase fish populations. So they could lead to more restrictive regulations.

thumbnail for publication: An Update on Florida’s Artificial Reefs: Recent Research and What It Means for Florida

An Update on Florida’s Artificial Reefs: Recent Research and What It Means for Florida

Lawrence Jackson, Edward V. Camp, Angela B. Collins, Holly Abeels, Michael J. Sipos, Brittany J. Scharf, Ana Zangroniz, Lawrence S. Jackson, Shelly L. Krueger, yVictor J. Blanco Marquez

As coastal managers and practitioners continue placing artificial reefs in marine waters, the scientific understanding of the effects and implications of artificial reefs is changing. It is especially important for resource managers and Extension and outreach personnel, as well as the interested public, to keep aware of these changes as they occur, but usually scientific studies are first published in peer-reviewed journals that may be inaccessible. This publication describes some of the most recent artificial reef studies that are likely to be especially relevant to Florida. Each is summarized and its potential relevance to Florida described. This is not a complete record of recent research, but it should help the interested public, managers, educators, and outreach personnel stay informed of recent developments in artificial reef science that should be considered when making decisions about artificial reefs.

thumbnail for publication: Facilitating Community Change: Lessons from Climate Adaptation to Guide Extension Engagement

Facilitating Community Change: Lessons from Climate Adaptation to Guide Extension Engagement

Martha C. Monroe, Annie Oxarart, Thomas Ruppert, yLibby Carnahan
Otros contactos: Holly Abeels, Wendy-Lin Bartels, yAlicia A. Betancourt

This publication provides Extension faculty in Florida with useful strategies to help communities understand, discuss, evaluate, and recommend potential solutions to current and future problems. While much of the research behind these strategies has been conducted in the context of climate adaptations in vulnerable communities and ecosystems, such as coastal fisheries, rainfed agriculture, and floodplain cities, the principles that underlie these processes are universal. The same strategies and guidelines can be tailored for any issue that requires the public to become more informed, generate options, and understand advantages and disadvantages of various choices. In these situations, Extension agents can facilitate a process of thoughtful deliberation to help communities find common ground and move toward finding solutions.

thumbnail for publication: Artificial Reefs in Florida 101 – why are they built? Part 1 of an Artificial Reef series

Artificial Reefs in Florida 101 – why are they built? Part 1 of an Artificial Reef series

Lisa Chong, Angela B. Collins, Holly Abeels, Anna Braswell, Andrew Ropicki, Scott Jackson, and Edward V. Camp

Increasingly, coastal managers are placing artificial reefs in marine waters. These long-lasting habitat alterations have measurable effects on fish, fishers, divers, fisheries, and marine social ecological systems. Understanding how artificial reefs function is necessary to make good decisions about future artificial reefs. Scientific research on many aspects of artificial reefs is not always summarized and explained. In response to this need, we designed a 4-part series called Artificial Reefs 101. This publication, Part 1 of the Artificial Reefs 101 series, explains why artificial reefs are built. It defines what artificial reefs are and explains why people build and deploy artificial reefs. It should help the interested public understand how artificial reefs affect marine resources, and provide a background and baseline of information for decision-makers such as local officials, management agency personnel, and Extension agents.

thumbnail for publication: Barotrauma and Successful Release of Fish Caught in Deep Water

Barotrauma and Successful Release of Fish Caught in Deep Water

Elizabeth A. Staugler, Holly Abeels, Angela B. Collins, Shelly L. Krueger, yKai Lorenzen

A UF/IFAS numbered peer reviewed Fact Sheet. Published by Environmental Literacy and Sustainability. If you catch a fish you are not going to keep, help it survive and get back to the deep! Throwing back your unwanted catch is good practice because healthy released fish can live to grow and reproduce, which benefits the fish population and the future of fisheries. But deepwater fish can have trouble getting back where they came from without a little assist from the angler. This fact sheet describes barotrauma, a problem that, if left untreated, will kill otherwise perfectly healthy fish, and explains a few quick and simple methods to relieve fish suffering from barotrauma and help them get back home healthy and strong.