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Publication #SGEF 148

Florida's Vessel Title Registration System as a Source of Boat Locations and Characteristics: A Case Study in Lee and Manatee Counties1

Robert A. Swett, Charles Sidman, Timothy Fik and Bill Sargent2

To manage Florida's waterways effectively, better information is required on the characteristics and locations of boats that are moored, anchored or docked along the states shorelines—a need identified by state, regional and local government entities. A field-based boat census (“on-water census,” or OWC)—though an effective method to obtain spatially accurate information—is expensive, time-consuming and restrictive in scope and may omit vessels that are temporarily away from their moorings.

The Florida Vessel Title Registration System (VTRS) is potentially a more robust (and economical) source of information. The VTRS is a statewide census of boats that is updated continuously, since boat owners are required to register their boats annually with the State. The study premise was to use the mailing address provided by registered boat owners to develop a spatially enabled inventory of Florida's recreational boat population. This research provides insights into the accuracy and reliability of the VTRS and a measure of confidence regarding the capability of the VTRS to supply location and attribute information for boats that ply Florida's coastal waterways.

Study results indicated that the VTRS captured roughly 80 percent of the study area's boat population; in contrast, an OWC captured less than 60 percent. A conclusion is that the VTRS is a better alternative than an OWC to categorize the boat population. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the VTRS is a reliable and valuable source of information that can be used to map boat locations and their characteristics. Implementation of the report's recommendations will improve the quality and utility of VTRS information.

Footnotes

1.

This is a publication of the Florida Sea Grant College Program and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Grant No. NA 16RG-2195, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Coastal Management Program, NOAA Grant No. NA03NOS4190079 with additional support from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the State of Florida, NOAA, or any of their sub-agencies.

Orginally published in full text as TP 139, and as a summary report as SGEF 148, July 2004. Reviewed October 2008.

2.

Robert Swett, Florida Sea Grant and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, PO Box 110400, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0400; rswett@ufl.edu.

Charles Sidman, Florida Sea Grant, PO Box 110400, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0400; cccf@ufl.edu.

Timothy Fik, Department of Geography, PO Box 117315, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7315; fik@geog.ufl.edu.

Bill Sargent, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 100 Eighth Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5095; Bill.Sargent@MyFWC.com.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.