The interagency Program Management Committee (PMC) for Florida Bay and Adjacent Coastal Waters consists of scientific representatives of the state and federal agencies having environmental regulatory responsibil ities and/or scientific interest in this part of the South Florida coastal marine ecosystem. The PMC is charged with providing policy makers reliable scientific information and science-based recommendations including timely evaluation of the effects diffe rent upstream management alternatives might have upon the ecosystem within Florida Bay and the adjacent coastal marine ecosystem. It was formed in 1994 based on a recommendation made to the agencies by a panel convened to examine agencies' plans and proce dures in regard to Florida Bay. Since then the PMC has overseen the interagency Florida Bay Science Program and has recently been expanded to assure coordination and collaboration with developing science programs in Biscayne Bay, the SW Florida Shelf incl uding Rookery Bay, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the Dry Tortugas in so far as they are germane to South Florida ecosystem restoration. To accomplish its objectives the PMC:

1) developed a Strategic Science Plan for Florida Bay to guide individual agency implementation plans and to prioritize allocation of resources;

3) sponsors an Annual Science Conference in which all funded investigator teams in all the various agencies are required to participate;

4) sponsors topical workshops on critical scientific issues;

5) established a Scientific Oversight Panel composed of distinguished, knowledgeable but financial disinterested scientists from outside this region. This Panel is asked to attend the Annual Science Conference, to ch air or participate in topical workshops that require technical panel input and to recommend to the PMC any changes in the science program to assure it is meeting the requirements of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Process; 

7) established an administrative infrastructure consisting of an Executive Officer, a Florida Bay Research Coordinator, and an Outreach/Education Office.