Resiliency work can propel St. Petersburg’s economy 

St. Petersburg’s leadership split their State of the Economy address into two overlapping themes Tuesday – environmental resiliency and economic opportunities. 

The U.S. blue economy supported 2.4 million careers and generated $777 billion in sales in 2022. Job growth in St. Petersburg dropped 3% in 2024 after increasing by roughly 6% in 2021 and 2022. 

St. Petersburg’s extensive coastline and lessons learned from an unprecedented hurricane season can propel the economy. Mayor Ken Welch has advanced $545 million in resiliency-related projects. 

City Council Chair Copley Gerdes told attendees at the event, which took place at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, how small businesses earned $1.6 million through an innovative storm debris collection program. Welch plans to make the Hometown Haulers initiative permanent.

“This is what I can promise you: My colleagues and I, in partnership with the mayor, will continue to passionately pursue a brighter, stronger and even more resilient economy for the City of St. Petersburg,” Gerdes said Tuesday. 

The new blue economy builds on the traditional version by harnessing the power of data and incorporating emerging technology. Public, private and academic organizations can then use that information to enhance weather forecasts and bolster environmental resiliency, among many other applications.

The St. Petersburg Innovation District is leading those efforts locally. The area encompasses less than 1% of the city’s square footage yet accounts for over 7% of all jobs. 

A long-awaited district master plan will conclude later this year. It focuses on resilient infrastructure, sustainable buildings and flood management through environmental design. 

City officials highlighted Saildrone, one of the district’s many marine-focused companies, at Tuesday’s event. Brian Connon, vice president of ocean mapping, noted that water covers 71% of the Earth. Researchers have charted just 25% of the seafloor.

Saildrone’s uncrewed, solar-powered vessels can remain at sea for 12 months. Hurricane hunters launched from the Maritime Defense and Technology Hub provide valuable information from inside the eye of a storm. 

Connon noted the benefits provided by the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and “big companies” that conduct underwater cable and oil and gas surveys all calling St. Petersburg home.

“As I started to discover all the synergy happening here, I knew we wanted to be here,” Connon said. “And again, that proximity to USF – we can work with COMIT, the Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technology, bring interns over, and then when they graduate, give them a job.” 

He explained how understanding the ocean floor’s topography allows scientists to create storm surge models. Saildrone’s partnership with NOAA is “all about trying to improve our understanding” of hurricane intensification. 

“We’re trying to physically measure the energy transfer between a storm and the ocean,” Connon added. “Similarly, we’re trying to build the basis for models to make the coast resilient and improve warnings for our residents.” 

Underutilized Port St. Petersburg and the now-defunct Cross Bay Ferry sit between the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub and the College of Marine Science (background).

Environmental resiliency careers also encompass blue-collar jobs. Councilmember Brandi Gabbard has frequently expressed the need for additional contractors who are “actually skilled” at elevating homes. 

St. Petersburg has launched its Coastal Resiliency and Environmental Training (CREST) program to enhance urban sustainability, reduce flooding, and create economic opportunity through sustainable solutions. Local construction, landscaping and green infrastructure businesses can receive certifications through the Center for Watershed Protection.

A new Green Infrastructure Program will provide additional, hands-on training for jobs that will remain a focal point well into the future. Officials will prioritize small and underutilized businesses.

“If we, as the City of St. Petersburg, can become a leader in helping our contractor community understand the nuances around elevation, mitigation and rebuilding in the floodplain – that could be a game-changer for our coastal community,” Gabbard said in March. 

“That’s what I see jumping off the page – nothing but opportunity to achieve those goals.”

The Innovation District announced May 15 that it would reconvene its Ocean Team. The group includes over 20 organizations, and any blue economy-involved stakeholders can join the quarterly meetings. 

Participants will help develop an ocean enterprise strategy, inventory assets, address capability gaps and amplify the work of partner organizations. “Their economic impact benefits the city, the surrounding region, as well as the state,” reads the announcement. 

A consortium featuring the district, College of Marine Science and Tampa Bay Wave won a $14 million NOAA grant in December 2024 to support and scale startups that pioneer environmental resiliency tools through technological advancements. Alison Barlow, executive director of the Innovation District, said the award presents an “amazing opportunity” to support small businesses and foster job growth. 

“Sometimes entrepreneurs or people who care about the ocean might think the only solution for their ideas is to become another nonprofit,” Barlow told the Catalyst. “What we want to do is challenge that.” 

The St. Petersburg Innovation District’s economic assets include research vessels like the Western Flyer. Its “moon pool” allows researchers to deploy remotely operated vehicles. Photo by Mark Parker.