Tampa Bay Wave becomes a national hub for ocean enterprise innovation
In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and as part of The Continuum, a collaborative network of leading accelerator organizations, the BlueTech|X Accelerator is a first-of-its-kind program focused on the Ocean Enterprise, an emerging sector advancing sustainable ocean and coastal solutions, and one with vital interest to the region. Running from October 20 to December 5, 2025, the BlueTech|X Accelerator supports groundbreaking technologies that aim to improve ocean health, enhance resource management, and strengthen coastal community resilience. More from Tampa Bay Wave.
Flights slowly resume between South Florida, Jamaica
After days of delays and cancellations, flights to the hard-hit island of Jamaica are slowly starting to resume from South Florida following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The Category 5 storm caused severe damage to airports in Kingston and Montego Bay, forcing them to close and cancel dozens of flights between the island and Miami International Airport. But starting Thursday, American Airlines resumed limited operations following the reopening of Kingston’s airport that morning. More from Local10.
Florida researchers plan to help growers feed more people
By commercializing their research, two University of Florida scientists are trying to get practical AI tools into the hands of our state’s farmers. The goal is to build their business by increasing farm profitability, lowering the costs of inputs, such as pesticides and labor, and feeding more people. They are doing that by building a new business. More from Hometown News Volusia.
USF Athletics taps NFL legend Derrick Brooks as new COO in department overhaul
The University of South Florida has tapped an NFL legend as its COO of Athletics. USF’s newly appointed CEO of Athletics, Rob Higgins, announced they had hired Derrick Brooks as their new COO. Before coming to USF, Brooks served as the executive vice president of corporate and community development at Vinik Sports Group since 2017. His hire marks USF’s commitment to transitioning its athletics program into a professional enterprise. More from the Tampa Bay Business Journals.
The public education exodus is crippling schools. This Florida county has solutions.
In Broward County, Florida, the start of this school year brought more than the usual first-day jitters — it came with a sense of urgency. About 10,000 fewer students entered its public schools this year, a 4.7% drop from last year, putting 34 of its schools on a watchlist for risk of closure or consolidation. Broward County isn't alone; public schools nationwide are reckoning with shrinking student bodies as publicly funded vouchers for charter and private schools expand, birthrates fall, the cost of living rises, and immigration crackdowns deter some families. More from the Business Insider.
Transportation Trends
Traffic talk: Florida ranked the most dangerous state for this. We're not surprised
It has been said that some things, like wine, get better with age.
Not driving. Not in Florida.
A new study by iSelect has revealed that Florida is the most dangerous state in America for senior drivers, recording 3,779 crashes involving motorists aged 65 and over in the last three years − more than any other state.
» More from the Naples Daily News.
Environment
Seagrass is key to Tampa Bay’s health. It’s getting planted on Tampa Electric property
After a short, idyllic boat ride down an Apollo Beach canal, a small group of nonprofit leaders watched the lengthy and laborious process of planting seagrass on a recent Thursday.
With Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Station looming in the background, a small team spent several hours in the water planting 4,800 bundles of seagrass they hope will provide both habitat and nutrition for marine wildlife for years to come.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.