The Ohio Clean Marinas Program is celebrating 20 years of environmental stewardship, guiding and helping the Buckeye State’s marinas be proactive in keeping waterways and air clean. Meanwhile, in Florida, a renewed push has been introduced for increased manatee protections that could result in more boating restrictions.
Here’s a great example of what active partnerships can do. The partners are Ohio Sea Grant, the Ohio Marine Trades Association and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. A big celebration is slated for the Ohio Marina Conference on March 6 at Saw Mill Creek Resort in Huron, Ohio.
The conference is the leading professional development and networking event for marina and yacht/boat club owners and operators, and boating industry partners. It provides updates on environmental regulations and best practices featuring a lineup of experts on topics important to the boating business. And it will also shine a spotlight on all 2024 Certified Clean Marina recipients.
I still recall the day in 2004 while I was president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association. I got a call from Jeff Reuter, director of the Sea Grant program at Ohio State University, and Ken Alvey, chief of the Ohio Division of Watercraft. They wanted to explore partnering on the startup of an Ohio Clean Marinas program.
“What a timely idea — we’re in,” I recall saying. It was the start of a success story that has endured and grown into a national model.
“It’s truly a partnership, and it’s been a labor of love in Ohio for so many people over the years,” said Sarah Orlando, Ohio Clean Marinas program manager. “Our Ohio Clean Marinas was launched with the aim of helping marinas meet regulations while taking additional steps to keep Ohio waterways clean. After crafting a comprehensive guidebook and a checklist, the program certified its first official marinas in 2005. Over the years, the program has worked to get as many marinas as possible to follow best-management practices and to be designated as Clean Marinas.”
Orlando said the program acts as an environmental education and technical assistance initiative that better communicates science and regulatory information in an easy-to-understand way. It has been an evolution, successfully working in partnership with industry, agencies and universities.
The anniversary celebration will bring together marina owners, operators and other boating professionals to explore innovative solutions while recognizing Ohio Clean Marinas’ two decades of accomplishments.
This year’s conference will feature presentations on:
• Electrifying Marinas
• Abandoned & Derelict Vessel Management
• Innovative Practices
• Achieving Market Leading Rates
• Insurance issues
• Environmental Topics
The Ohio Sea Grant is part of NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant Programs dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and the Great Lakes resources. It’s part of OSU’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences serving scientists from across the Great Lakes region while offering lab facilities, field work equipment, research vessels and housing for researchers studying Lake Erie.
A notable Ohio Sea Grant facility is the Stone Lab located at Put-in-Bay in the Lake Erie Islands in the western part of the lake. It provides the science behind informed policy and management decisions on science education, the fragile Lake Erie ecosystem and its critical economic impact on the region.
Today, more than 100 Ohio marinas and boating clubs are Certified Clean Marinas under this successful Sea Grant program. Key sponsors of the upcoming celebration event include Lake Erie Shores & Islands Ohio, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and Atlantis Seawall.
Manatees: Threatened or Endangered?
The Manatee Protection Act of 2025 has been introduced in the Florida legislature to raise the conservation status of the West Indian manatee from “threatened” to “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
There’s also a proposed rule that would keep the manatee categorized as threatened, having been changed from endangered in 2017.
A public hearing on the proposed rule is set for next Wednesday, Feb. 26. Speculation is that federal regulators are not in favor of placing the manatee back to endangered status.
Still, several environmental groups have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to up the classification again. That’s after more than 1,000 sea cows perished in the Indian River Lagoon in 2021 due to pollution, which reportedly killed the sea grass the Manatees feed on.
Proponents also claim boat collisions are the primary cause of manatee deaths. In the past, these claims have resulted in myriad speed zones across the state. Statistically, however, collisions with boats, on average, are responsible for less than 20% of manatee deaths annually. In 2024, for example, 565 animals died, with 96 reportedly being struck by boats. While no one wants any manatees hurt or killed, boating is clearly not the primary problem.
In 1991 the population of manatees was reportedly just 1,267. In 2021-22 it was estimated to be between 8,350 and 11,730. And in 2024 a USA Today article noted that park rangers counted a record number of manatees in a single location.
So let’s be clear: Boaters love manatees. I can’t count the number of times we’ve watched these gentle giants. And no boater ever wants to hurt a manatee. While some might advocate more speed restrictions, the restrictions already put in place, while arguably overdone in some areas, have greatly reduced the number of manatee collisions. The sea cow population continues to see record growth, and recategorizing them is unnecessary. Moreover, it’s reasonable to expect any recategorization will be used by those seeking to further restrict the boating lifestyle.
Dealers, customers and suppliers must again be prepared to engage in the discussion, pay particular attention to the next Florida legislature, which convenes in March, and support actions that recognize manatees should remain threatened, not endangered.
