Meet the Team
The American Water Security Project is an alliance of water policy experts, scientists, civil engineers, and community thought-leaders with over four centuries of combined experience working in the public water advocacy space. Our organization is focused on developing policy informed by the best-available science. Our board of directors oversees an independent and unpaid science and infrastructure advisory panel and an independent policy advisory panel that informs the board of directors and staff of the latest science and policy.
The American Water Security Project prides itself on its independent, science-driven initiatives and pragmatic policy agendas.
Steering Committee
Kirk Mantay
Kirk Mantay is a Mid-Atlantic ecologist and nonprofit leader with over 22 years of expertise in watershed restoration and strategic pollutant load reduction. He has directed, advised, or implemented over $65 million of strategic and phased pollution reduction work at numerous conservation organizations, and currently manages a $110 million ecological restoration portfolio that spans from North Carolina to New Jersey. These efforts include sewer and stormwater retrofits completed as part of strategic pollution load reductions (Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated consent decrees) and coastal resiliency efforts using various types of public-private partnerships to push projects through bureaucratic and funding barriers.
Kirk also consults on wetland permitting and restoration projects in Florida and spends time throughout the year fishing and surfing with his wife’s family. Mr. Mantay’s extended family are natives of Dade County that currently live in Sarasota County.
Mr. Mantay conducted doctoral research at the University of Maryland on plant invasion modeling, and holds a master’s degree from Appalachian State University (NC) in Geography and Environmental Planning, a Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech in Fisheries and Wildlife Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech in Geography/Remote Sensing.
Dr. Nichole Kirchoff
Dr. Nichole Kirchhoff is the founder and CEO of Live Advantage Bait, where she raises pinfish, a vitally important species for ecosystems and recreational and commercial fishermen.
Dr. Kirchhoff is a marine biologist with a doctorate in aquatic animal health, aquaculture, fisheries and conservation. She is an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University. She was raised in Jupiter, FL on the Indian River Lagoon.
With the marriage of her academic and professional interests, Dr. Kirchhoff has become a pioneer in aquaculture technology.
Currently, Nichole, her husband, and their toddler son live in West Palm Beach, are avid outdoors enthusiasts, and are heavily engaged in philanthropy.
Dr. Rob Young
Robert S. Young is the Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, a joint Duke University/Western Carolina University venture. He is also a Professor of Geology at Western Carolina University and a licensed professional geologist in three states (FL, NC, SC). The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) is a research and policy outreach center serving the global coastal community. The primary mission of PSDS is to conduct scientific research into coastal processes and to translate that science into management and policy recommendations through a variety of professional and public outreach mechanisms. The Program specializes in evaluating the design and implementation of coastal engineering projects.
Dr. Young received a BS degree in Geology (Phi Beta Kappa) from the College of William & Mary, an MS degree in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine, and a PhD in Geology from Duke University where he was a James B. Duke Distinguished Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Young has approximately 100 technical publications and he serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Coastal Research and Environmental Geosciences. He currently oversees more than $3.5 Million in grant-funded research projects related to coastal science and management.
Current research projects include: 1) an NSF-funded project examining the coastal impacts of the Elwha River dam removal project; 2) a major scientific effort to restore native rivercane Arundinaria gigantea to the southern Appalachians; 3) building a national, geo-referenced storm surge database in partnership with NOAA; 4) a National Park Service funded project to map coastal engineering activities in coastal parks; and 5) working at the local level to help communities plan for rising sea level.
Dr. Young is a frequent contributor to the popular media. He has written numerous articles for outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today, Architectural Record, the Houston Chronicle, and the Raleigh News and Observer, among others. He is co-author of The Rising Sea and co-editor of Geologic Monitoring, both released in 2009. Finally, Dr. Young has testified before Congress and numerous state legislatures on coastal issues. He currently serves the State of North Carolina as a member of the Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel and the State of South Carolina as a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management.
He is President of Sialia Environmental, Inc— a firm that provides environmental consulting and restoration design.
Kathleen Peters
Representative Kathleen Peters moved to Pinellas County in 1985. She received her BA degree from Eckerd College majoring in Human Development. She held the position of State Representative for the Florida House of Representatives, District 69 and is former VP of Public Affairs at the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In the Florida Legislature, Representative Peters served on the Commerce Committee, Ways and Means, Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, and served as Chair for the Energy and Utilities Committee.
In her freshman year as a state legislator, Representative Peters successfully acquired funding to establish the first and only Center of Excellence for Orthotics and Prosthetics at St. Petersburg College. She passed several bills to benefit Floridians here and across the state, including reducing taxes for apartment and condominium owners. In the name of a local teenage girl who lost her life in a boating accident, Rep. Peters also passed legislation for better boater safety requirements. She is also spearheading a social marketing campaign “Who knew?” to bring attention to the true face of the homeless, veterans, single moms and children.
Her past employment included working at the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County where she coordinated a statewide advocacy group to develop a legislative agenda for positive youth policies associated with juvenile justice. She also coordinated a group of more than 70 youth for developing program criteria and acquiring funding to open a local teen center as a millennium youth legacy project.
In 2001, she began work at the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg as grant manager and later as the Financial Development Director. Along with developing numerous partnerships for the YMCA, Kathleen built consensus to identify strategies to combat the high rate of school suspensions and school related arrests among middle school students. This research resulted in the development of the award winning YMCA Youth Enhancement Skills Program, which demonstrated strong positive outcomes. In 2004, Kathleen presented this award winning program at a Congressional Briefing for the U.S. House and Senate.
In 2015, Representative Peters was awarded the “Legislative Champion” from Florida Partners in Crisis and the Florida Sheriffs Association. She was also named “Legislator of the Year” by the Osteopathic Medical Society, the Suncoast League of Cities, and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. For her extensive work on homelessness and on mental health, she was named the Florida Housing Coalition’s “Housing Champion”, and received the M.A. Bernstein Award for Mental Health Awareness. Just recently, Representative Peters received recognition from the Suncoast Center for her extensive legislative work in mental health. She is a past member of the Advisory Board for the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network.
Martha Collins
Martha is the founder of Collins Law Group where she has successfully litigated, lobbied, and negotiated for many of Florida’s largest precedent setting environmental and land-use cases and policies.
She has appeared before numerous governmental agencies in Florida and Washington, D.C.; including, the Florida Governor, Cabinet and Legislature, and members of the United States Congress. Her work has been quoted or referenced in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Forbes, Politico, National and Florida Public Radio, other newspapers and blogs across the country and world, and in almost every major news media in Florida.
Martha Collins graduated from Tulane University before she simultaneously earned a Juris Doctorate from Seattle University and a Masters of Law in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. Martha is admitted in the Florida Bar and the Federal U.S. Middle District Court of Florida. Currently, Ms. Collins is past Chair for the Environmental and Land-Use Section of the Florida Bar.
Frances Colon
Dr. Frances Colón is the former Deputy Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State at the U.S. State Department. As a science diplomat in Washington D.C. from 2012 – 2017, Dr. Colón led the re-engagement of scientific collaboration with Cuban scientists and coordinated climate change policy for the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas announced by President Obama.
Dr. Colón earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2004 from Brandeis University and her B.S. in Biology in 1997 from the University of Puerto Rico. She currently specializes in advising local and national-level governments on science policy and evidence-based decision-making. Dr. Colón is a 2018 – 2019 New Voices Fellow of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and a 2019 Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellow.
Dr. Colón’s South Florida Climate Justice Project will leverage her citizen appointment on the City of Miami Sea Level Rise Committee to create awareness and catalyze policy action that will counter the impacts of climate change and gentrification on vulnerable communities of South Florida.
Hunter McIntosh
Hunter Hartford McIntosh, President of The Boat Company, is a true guardian of the environment and is passionate about sustainability and working to create commercially viable industries in eco-tourism and the fishing community.
He is inspired by a family legacy of environmental education, philanthropy and conservation that protects our natural resources for future generations. Hunter is steadfast on preserving nature through his work with The Boat Company.
Hunter is proudly carrying on the family legacy of conservation and shares The Boat Company’s vision at national conferences where he has spoken on the topic of Sustainable Tourism. He has been a speaker at the World Green Energy Symposium on multiple occasions, The International Ecotourism Society Annual Conference, as well as the American Society of Travel Agents Cruise West Symposium, and Cruise World (the largest single conference dedicated to cruise travel in the United States).
When not fighting for the Tongass National Forest and managing environmental campaigns across the country, Hunter is a member of the Jackson Kayak Systems professional bass team. Hunter is also an accomplished bow hunter.
Jenn Scuteri
After obtaining her Juris Doctorate and a Masters in Tax Law, Jennifer entered the political arena, and was elected as Chairwoman for the Board of Selectman of the Town of Hamilton, a historic New England town, 30 miles north of Boston. In this role, Jennifer moved forward legislation to implement LEED building codes, clustered development and a nationally-awarded composting program. She was also recognized for her work with Veterans, particularly by the family of General Patton. Jennifer was elected as Hamilton’s first woman Town Moderator and in this role, presided over the legislative process, controlling the debate of 700 voters, applying Roberts Rules of Order.
Jennifer’s family has been on Sanibel Island, Florida for over 30 years and she is now a resident and engaged in environmental initiatives, especially water issues. She has moderated a public forum on Florida’s Red Tide and regularly speaks at public hearings advocating for land and water preservation.
Sharon Yamen
Sharon received her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. With ten years of teaching experience, she returned from six years in the midwest to teach on the east coast as an Associate Professor at the Ancell School of Business. Her love of the ocean could not keep her away.
Admitted to the New York Bar, she is also an accredited attorney for the VA, assisting Veterans in receiving benefits.
In addition, she holds her own practice. Sharon represents a variety of business types and sectors, specializing in the unique legal needs of small businesses and startups. She excels at contract reviews, helping individuals and business owners understand the meanings and ramifications of each agreement.
Sharon’s personal interests are vast and varied. She’s traveled extensively around the globe and has spent time on six continents. Her international travels expand not only her personal horizons but her professional perspective as well. She’s seen the world’s need for legal professionals to use their expertise to make a difference for society, and she takes particular care to see that mission through.
When not at work you can find her in the great outdoors, surfing, mountain-biking, rock climbing or on a plane to her next remote adventure destination.
Science & Infrastructure Advisory Panel
Kirk Mantay
Kirk Mantay is a Mid-Atlantic ecologist and nonprofit leader with over 22 years of expertise in watershed restoration and strategic pollutant load reduction. He has directed, advised, or implemented over $65 million of strategic and phased pollution reduction work at numerous conservation organizations, and currently manages a $110 million ecological restoration portfolio that spans from North Carolina to New Jersey. These efforts include sewer and stormwater retrofits completed as part of strategic pollution load reductions (Chesapeake Bay TMDL and associated consent decrees) and coastal resiliency efforts using various types of public-private partnerships to push projects through bureaucratic and funding barriers.
Kirk also consults on wetland permitting and restoration projects in Florida and spends time throughout the year fishing and surfing with his wife’s family. Mr. Mantay’s extended family are natives of Dade County that currently live in Sarasota County.
Mr. Mantay conducted doctoral research at the University of Maryland on plant invasion modeling, and holds a Master’s degree from Appalachian State University (NC) in Geography and Environmental Planning, a Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech in Fisheries and Wildlife Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech in Geography/Remote Sensing.
Dr. Rob Young
Robert S. Young is the Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, a joint Duke University/Western Carolina University venture. He is also a Professor of Geology at Western Carolina University and a licensed professional geologist in three states (FL, NC, SC). The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) is a research and policy outreach center serving the global coastal community. The primary mission of PSDS is to conduct scientific research into coastal processes and to translate that science into management and policy recommendations through a variety of professional and public outreach mechanisms. The Program specializes in evaluating the design and implementation of coastal engineering projects.
Dr. Young received a BS degree in Geology (Phi Beta Kappa) from the College of William & Mary, an MS degree in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine, and a PhD in Geology from Duke University where he was a James B. Duke Distinguished Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Young has approximately 100 technical publications and he serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Coastal Research and Environmental Geosciences. He currently oversees more than $3.5 Million in grant-funded research projects related to coastal science and management.
Current research projects include: 1) an NSF-funded project examining the coastal impacts of the Elwha River dam removal project; 2) a major scientific effort to restore native rivercane Arundinaria gigantea to the southern Appalachians; 3) building a national, geo-referenced storm surge database in partnership with NOAA; 4) a National Park Service funded project to map coastal engineering activities in coastal parks; and 5) working at the local level to help communities plan for rising sea level.
Dr. Young is a frequent contributor to the popular media. He has written numerous articles for outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today, Architectural Record, the Houston Chronicle, and the Raleigh News and Observer, among others. He is co-author of The Rising Sea and co-editor of Geologic Monitoring, both released in 2009. Finally, Dr. Young has testified before Congress and numerous state legislatures on coastal issues. He currently serves the State of North Carolina as a member of the Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel and the State of South Carolina as a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management.
He is President of Sialia Environmental, Inc— a firm that provides environmental consulting and restoration design.
Frances Colon
Dr. Frances Colón is the former Deputy Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State at the U.S. State Department. As a science diplomat in Washington D.C. from 2012 – 2017, Dr. Colón led the re-engagement of scientific collaboration with Cuban scientists and coordinated climate change policy for the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas announced by President Obama.
Dr. Colón earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2004 from Brandeis University and her B.S. in Biology in 1997 from the University of Puerto Rico. She currently specializes in advising local and national-level governments on science policy and evidence-based decision-making. Dr. Colón is a 2018 – 2019 New Voices Fellow of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and a 2019 Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellow.
Dr. Colón’s South Florida Climate Justice Project will leverage her citizen appointment on the City of Miami Sea Level Rise Committee to create awareness and catalyze policy action that will counter the impacts of climate change and gentrification on vulnerable communities of South Florida.
Dr. Nichole Kirchhoff
Dr. Nichole Kirchhoff is the founder and CEO of Live Advantage Bait, where she raises pinfish, a vitally important species for ecosystems and recreational and commercial fishermen.
Dr. Kirchhoff is a marine biologist with a doctorate in aquatic animal health, aquaculture, fisheries and conservation. She is an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University. She was raised in Jupiter, FL on the Indian River Lagoon.
With the marriage of her academic and professional interests, Dr. Kirchhoff has become a pioneer in aquaculture technology.
Currently, Nichole, her husband, and their toddler son live in West Palm Beach, are avid outdoors enthusiasts, and are heavily engaged in philanthropy.
Rob Turnbull
Rob Turnbull is the founding director and owner of Telchine Industries, an ozone clarifying research and development water treatment firm, and an avid boater and saltwater enthusiast. In his twenty-year career as a water treatment specialist, Mr. Turnbull has worked on aquatic and marine mammal life support systems, recirculating aquaculture systems, municipal drinking water treatment, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment systems, advanced oxidation treatment of industrial contaminated groundwaters, and bottled water systems.
Under Mr. Turnbull’s leadership, Telchine Industries has become a leader in the OEM manufacturer spaces of ozone gas generation systems used in all of the applications above. As a leader in this space, during Florida Toxic Summer of 2018, Telchine Industries designed and constructed “PureTide,” a red tide ozone treatment system used to treat acute red tide outbreaks in populated areas.
In addition to seeking solutions to slow and eradicate red tide blooms, Telchine Industries is also working on low cost autonomous Karenia brevis monitoring systems that better track blooms and their coastal migrations.
Policy Advisory Panel
Jennifer Webb
Representative Jennifer Webb is a proven problem solver and committed community leader who comes from a long line of dedicated public servants, health care professionals, small business owners, teachers, and principals. Her family taught her the importance of hard work and the value of giving back.
Growing up, Jennifer met tragedy and hardships with a grace and perseverance she learned early on. A week before her second birthday, her father died when his motorcycle was hit by a truck after coming home from the third shift. With help of an expansive family and a constellation of Catholic nuns and teachers, Jennifer’s mother raised her and her brother while fighting to retain minimum-wage, entry-level secretarial jobs to provide for her children. Although her mother is intelligent and hardworking, Jennifer’s family was vulnerable until her mother was remarried. Jennifer was raised by her community and now strives each and every day to give back to our community.
Jennifer gives back to our community by tackling some of the most pressing problems for our families in Pinellas County. She attracted employers to lower income communities and got people in these communities the skills they needed to do these jobs. She also developed training programs that would lead to higher skill and higher paid jobs, so people weren’t stuck in entry-level positions.
After earning her Masters from University of South Florida, Jennifer taught faculty members how to conduct research with the community and how to teach hands-on classes that help Bay area residents. As the Director of Community Partnerships, Jennifer built projects that bring together business, the university, non-profits, and residents to create stronger communities. Through these projects, she worked to reduce violence and increase employment, to eliminate hunger, to bring justice to victims of crime and abuse of power, to assist student veterans and military members, and to support high quality public schools and the children who attend them.
Jennifer is now a small business owner in the private sector. Yet, she still brings together different sectors to solve some of our most pressing problems. She is currently focused on finding solutions to transportation/traffic, affordable housing, and community health.
Representative Jennifer Webb fights for the interests of all of Florida’s families, to restore control to our local communities, and to protect our waterways and drinking water.
G. J. Thomas Sadler, Jr.
Tom Sadler is the Deputy Director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, a coalition of commercial and recreational fishing associations, regional and national conservation groups, aquaria, and marine science organizations.
Sadler has an extensive history of promoting fisheries conservation through advocacy and communication and works with stakeholders on the waterfront to promote sustaining fish populations, healthy marine ecosystems, and fishing communities.
In 2008, he started The Middle River Group to provide strategic and tactical public and government relations assistance on conservation issues, especially those related to fish, wildlife and natural resources. He has also served as conservation director for the Izaak Walton League of America and director of program development for the Trust for Public Land.
Sadler most recently lead the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the oldest and largest association of professional outdoor communicators in the United States.
Sadler has been involved in coalition building and grass roots organizing for much of his professional career. He has been active in creation of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, FishNet, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
Sadler’s volunteer activities reflect his passion for fishing, conservation and journalism. He is currently Treasurer of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and has served on the boards of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association, the National Fisheries Friends Partnership, Valley Conservation Council, the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the Federation of Fly Fishers, Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and the Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group, and on the steering committee of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture and as the Virginia representative on Trout Unlimited’s National Leadership Council.
Sadler spent 14 years as a public affairs officer in the Unites States Navy Reserve and was honorably discharged at the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire.
He is a lifelong fly fisherman, guide and instructor. He guides for Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg, Virginia, specializing in the tenkara style of fly-fishing. He lives with his wife Beth and their black lab Lily in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Kathleen Peters
Representative Kathleen Peters moved to Pinellas County in 1985. She received her BA degree from Eckerd College majoring in Human Development. She held the position of State Representative for the Florida House of Representatives, District 69 and is former VP of Public Affairs at the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In the Florida Legislature, Representative Peters served on the Commerce Committee, Ways and Means, Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, and served as Chair for the Energy and Utilities Committee.
In her freshman year as a state legislator, Representative Peters successfully acquired funding to establish the first and only Center of Excellence for Orthotics and Prosthetics at St. Petersburg College. She passed several bills to benefit Floridians here and across the state, including reducing taxes for apartment and condominium owners. In the name of a local teenage girl who lost her life in a boating accident, Rep. Peters also passed legislation for better boater safety requirements. She is also spearheading a social marketing campaign “Who knew?” to bring attention to the true face of the homeless, veterans, single moms and children.
Her past employment included working at the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County where she coordinated a statewide advocacy group to develop a legislative agenda for positive youth policies associated with juvenile justice. She also coordinated a group of more than 70 youth for developing program criteria and acquiring funding to open a local teen center as a millennium youth legacy project.
In 2001, she began work at the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg as grant manager and later as the Financial Development Director. Along with developing numerous partnerships for the YMCA, Kathleen built consensus to identify strategies to combat the high rate of school suspensions and school related arrests among middle school students. This research resulted in the development of the award winning YMCA Youth Enhancement Skills Program, which demonstrated strong positive outcomes. In 2004, Kathleen presented this award winning program at a Congressional Briefing for the U.S. House and Senate.
In 2015, Representative Peters was awarded the “Legislative Champion” from Florida Partners in Crisis and the Florida Sheriffs Association. She was also named “Legislator of the Year” by the Osteopathic Medical Society, the Suncoast League of Cities, and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. For her extensive work on homelessness and on mental health, she was named the Florida Housing Coalition’s “Housing Champion”, and received the M.A. Bernstein Award for Mental Health Awareness. Just recently, Representative Peters received recognition from the Suncoast Center for her extensive legislative work in mental health. She is a past member of the Advisory Board for the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network.
Our Staff
Dr. Brandon D. Shuler
Bruce and Shirley Shuler—people who made their living on the water— raised Dr. Brandon D. Shuler on the South Texas shoreline. Growing up in a family that valued water and fish above all, Brandon cannot remember a time that he did not have a rod nearby, a surfboard underfoot, or a book in hand.
With stories in his blood of his great, great grandfather Quanah Parker, the last Comanche chief, Brandon was raised on the idea of always returning to the earth what she gave the People. At 12, reading John Graves’s Goodbye to a River, an elegy for the Brazos River and Texas’s deep-rooted place-driven history, Brandon made it his mission to leave the planet better than when he arrived.
As he grew older, fishing, hunting and surfing the world, Shuler grew appalled by the poor water quality and depleted fish populations he encountered, even in some of the most remote destinations. Moving to St Petersburg, Florida while working for the Ocean Conservancy, Dr. Shuler looked forward to exploring the “Fishing Capital of the World” and its legendary places to fish. Instead, he arrived to discover that city officials chronically allow disastrous sewage spills, leaks, and outright unlawful dumping.
After St Petersburg’s horrific 2016 sewage crisis that witnessed more than 1-billion gallons of sewage dumped, spilled, and pumped into Tampa Bay waters Dr. Shuler enlisted the help of students at the University of South Florida to examine the city’s actions and responses that lead to the crisis. They discovered that the city had chosen to decrease its sewage treatment capacity by 25%. From this research came the award- winning documentary, St Pete Unfiltered.
By raising citizen awareness and exposing the city’s unwillingness to address severe infrastructure needs, the St Pete Unfiltered documentary helped force the city of St Petersburg into a $326-million consent decree settlement in federal court. The consent decree requires the city to make the necessary upgrades in a timely fashion.
Brandon is the father of three children, Parker, Imogen, and Curren, and they still reside in St. Petersburg.
Dr. Peter Barile
Peter Barile is a native Floridian and Senior Environmental Scientist with Marine Research & Consulting, Inc., based in Melbourne, FL.
Growing up along the Indian River Lagoon, Peter developed a passion for understanding Florida’s aquatic ecosystems. His early experiences fishing and hunting, surfing and diving on Florida waters inspired him toward a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Florida Tech. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, in Ft. Pierce, FL. Following his formal education, Peter went on to become a renowned science and public policy advisor to Florida’s local and state governments on issues related to the mitigation of land-based sources of pollution.
In 1993, he was awarded NOAA’s Knauss Marine Science Policy Fellowship to develop regional, national and international coastal and ocean policy for federal agencies in Washington D.C. His groundbreaking work on the role of human-derived nutrient pollution (including human wastewater) was used to set nutrient level standards in surface waters and drive policy and legislation to mitigate nutrient over-enrichment of Florida’s sensitive aquatic ecosystems.
A 2004 marquee scientific study on the Florida Keys Reef Tract that Dr. Barile co- authored demonstrated how sewage impacts sensitive coral reefs. The associated publication drove a mandate for a $1.2 billion sewage infrastructure project to upgrade 26,000 cesspits and septic tanks into a centralized sewage treatment in Monroe County.
In another published study on the water quality of Space and Treasure Coast beaches, Dr. Barile reported human sewage impacts on adjacent nearshore reefs, which inspired legislation to ban sewage dumping by commercial gambling ships in state waters and forced local governments to address adjacent wastewater infrastructure problems.
His February 2018 study, published in the international journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, identified widespread sewage enrichment of the Indian River Lagoon, FL system and was subsequently utilized to support a moratorium on new conventional septic tanks adjacent to the Lagoon in Brevard County.
To date, Dr. Barile has written over two dozen peer-reviewed scientific research articles, reports and other periodicals, in addition to receiving grant awards from the State of Florida, USEPA, NOAA, and NASA.
Peter is also a past member of the Florida Senate’s Task Force on urban fertilizer use and an expert on its harmful role in Florida’s aquatic ecosystems.
Special Advisors
Terry Gibson
Terry Gibson was raised in West Palm Beach by avid sportsmen. He grew up a block from the Lake Worth Lagoon, which was ecologically collapsed due mostly to sewage pollution. An avid surfer, Terry frequently suffered eye, ear, and throat infections caused by fecal bacteria in the Palm Beach County surf zone. When he became a rookie editor at Surfer Magazine, Terry became seriously ill due to sewage seepage into the California coastal waters after surfing near Surfer HQ. This spurred him to work with the Surfrider Foundation to help pass the BEACH Act, which provides the EPA with funding for grants to state and local agencies for fecal bacteria monitoring and warnings along beaches.
In 2008, as an editor at Florida Sportsman magazine, Terry spearheaded legislation that aimed to require the closure of sewage outfalls off SE Florida. To date, two outfalls have been closed. Terry has also fought to upgrade sewage infrastructure along the Indian River Lagoon, which is collapsing in large part due to sewage pollution.
Terry is married to Teresa Lynn Gibson. They have a two-year-old son, William Wallace, and three bird dogs, Kuno, Cody, and Jenny. The family lives one block from the Indian River Lagoon.
Magaly Fuentes
Magaly Fuentes was raised in West Palm Beach by a family of Cuban immigrants who have always held a great appreciation for nature. Growing up just a few minutes from the beach, Magaly gravitated toward friends who surfed, fished, and otherwise spent as much time as possible in or near local bodies of water.
Sewing, painting, and writing were also woven deep during her upbringing. Her desire to express her creativity ultimately led her to study fashion design. Upon completing her degree, Magaly apprenticed with a couture bridal designer and worked as a merchandiser for Saks Fifth Avenue. She also returned to college to study International Business with a focus on marketing, enterprise management, and writing courses. She later landed a highly coveted buying position with a chain of boutiques and quickly moved up the company ladder to co-manage product development for the company’s private label alongside the company owners. During her time in this position, Magaly’s awareness of the correlation between the fashion industry and waste, pollution, and unfair labor practices became a point of personal conflict in her career path. After leaving the company, she took a step back from the fashion industry, as she knew it.
Making the decision to move to a remote fishing village located on the Southern Pacific Coast region of Nicaragua, she managed the kitchen at a surf lodge, and dove into research regarding how sustainable practices could be implemented within the fashion industry. While in Nicaragua, she began writing for the online publication Eco Fashion World, later becoming the publication’s owner and editor-in-chief.
After several years of running the publication, Magaly sought to expand her environmental work. She joined a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in environmental spaces, where she has worked on messaging for some of the nation’s most critical environmental issues. Magaly recently played an integral role in permanently reauthorizing our nation’s marquee public lands program, the Land & Water Conservation Fund. Now, she is excited to bring her diverse talents to the American Water Security Project.
Magaly lives in Lake Clarke Shores, Florida with her six-year-old son, Avel.
Our Staff
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