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that increase resilience to coastal hazards" as a priority topic for the financial support. "What we saw as an opportunity with Sea Grant was to encompass a look forward at sea level rise and to bring that in as part of [Longboat's] long-term planning effort," says Jerry Murphy, an adjunct professor with UF's Florida Resilient Communities Initiative. He is working with the key on the project. Sea Grant is reviewing proposals; applicants will be notified by early October about whether they will receive the funding. Longboat Assistant Town Manager Anne Ross says the increased attention being paid to sea level rise hasn't come from citizen pressure but from staffers who have been watching the problem closely. Already, according to Ray, if heavy rain coincides with high tide, the island's streets can quickly flood. Even "min- ute changes in sea level" will affect the town's stormwater system, which empties into the bay, Ray says. "We are very flat," notes Ross. "There's nowhere for the water to go but on the streets." While the island's problems are highly spe- cific to its environment and development, Ross and Ray both emphasize the need for a regional approach. "We're certainly not the experts on sea level rise," says Ray. "We can't tackle these issues on our own, and we would be foolish to try. This is a conversation that goes far beyond Longboat Key, and we would not be comfortable without that input." Sarasota County as a whole may not be as vul- nerable to sea level rise as Longboat, but the Beach-goers enjoy a stretch of Longboat Key shore. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader August 8 & 15, 2014 Page 17