Our Services

Design Services

Single Family Home Docks and Seawalls

At Ocean Consulting, our team works with single-family home-owners and/or developers to design and permit waterfront improvements that meet the needs of the property owners, as well as the municipality’s code requirements. With the option of steel or concrete panels, Ocean Consulting designs seawalls that meet current and future code requirements for shoreline stabilization.

Through on-site meetings and discussions with the design team, Ocean Consulting prepares dock concepts based on our knowledge of the existing waterfront conditions. Our designs allow for property owners to safely moor their vessels, while also striving to create an aesthetically-pleasing waterfront that blends seamlessly with the landscaping of the property. Upon finalization of a dock design, Ocean Consulting works with the environmental agencies and city to permit the proposed dock structure while accounting for impacts to the bay habitat. Ocean Consulting’s marine biologists work closely with the design team to avoid and minimize impacts to the bay bottom and the marine resources. In some instances, mitigation projects are planned and executed by our expert team to offset negative impacts to the bay due to construction activities.

Marina/Docking Facility Design & Permitting

Ocean Consulting designs marinas and docking facilities. We walk with the overall design team, including but not limited to, architects, engineers, project attorneys, owners and associates, to complete the project plans. The team then prepares full consulting designs, and obtains environmental and building permits prior to commencement of construction. Full design and permit processing can take 12 to 14 months, depending on the complexity of the project.

Seawall & Bulkhead Options

Considered to be one of the most effective man-made methods to protect shorelines from rising sea levels, seawalls and bulkheads on residential, multi-family, or commercial properties are integral to shoreline stabilization. At Ocean Consulting, our team designs concrete panel and steel sheetpile seawall options (as well as other materials) for permit processing with the environmental and building permit agencies. While both are effective options to achieve the same goal, cost effectiveness is always a factor in determining which route to take.

Ocean Consulting can evaluate your existing seawall/shoreline, and provide recommendations/options for owners to consider.

Boatlift Design Options

Ocean Consulting will work with your project team, including ownership, boat captain, architects and engineers, to design the most effective boat lift option for your waterfront. There are a considerate amount of boatlift choices, including 4-and-8 post elevator, and hydraulic. Capacities for boatlifts continue to expand , and can now achieve weights upwards of 120,000 pounds.

See the Project Portfolio page for a few of the many choices available!

Coastal Engineering projects

Coastal Engineering projects address both natural and man-made changes in coastal zones. These projects typically involve investigating and identifying the coastal problem, planning/design work, followed by potential marine construction that aims to prevent or reduce the risk of erosion, sedimentation, poor water quality and/or potential coastal changes. Our team will create a solution and develop structures and strategies that protect natural and man-made shoreline processes and storm damages. These solutions typically include seawalls, breakwaters, bulkheads, artificial dunes, groynes, rock armouring, and/or other coastal engineering approaches. Coastal engineering projects aim to protect both the beach and properties in a coastal region. Options to study the coastal environment include, but are not limited to, detailed wave modeling, sediment transport modeling, flushing analyses, and hurricane statistical analysis, along with other approaches. ocean Consulting will walk with your Project Team to develop a strategic and innovative resolution to your coastal engineering challenges.

Temporary Marine Events & Parties: Design & Permitting

Overwater Events and Parties require regulatory approvals. Obtaining these temporary event permits is one of Ocean Consulting's specialties.

For example, approvals are required from the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commission, or the Florida Department of Environmental protection, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A city permit is also mandatory. Ocean Consulting can assist in project drawing development, and expediting the exact approvals through all government channels.

Examples are shown on the Project Portfolio page under Marina Events!

Environmental Consulting and Mitigation Services

Coral Relocation, Transplants & Monitoring

When corals are observed at a project site, and proposed waterfront development has potential to impact those corals, coral relocation is necessary to preserve the vitality of those organisms for future generations. Ocean Consulting's biologists have over 20 years of experience in surveying, relocating, transporting, and transplanting stony corals. Our biologists are expertly trained in species identification to ensure all corals at a project site are appropriately documented and cataloged. We use industry standard, environmental agency-approved techniques to ensure the survival of corals in need of relocation. Ocean Consulting also regularly monitors the health of all relocated corals and provides detailed reports with vivid underwater photographs to document the relocation process.

Seagrass Mitigation Design, Implementation, & Monitoring

Maintaining healthy seagrass habitat is essential to preserving the integrity of our marina and coastal environments. Due to the importance of this sensitive habitat, any impacts to seagrass must be mitigated by the creation of new seagrass habitat. For the past 16 years, Ocean Consulting has developed pioneering seagrass mitigation projects throughout South Florida. Many of these innovative projects are now used as industry-standard models for successful seagrass mitigation.

If seagrass mitigation is required, Ocean Consulting will regularly monitor mitigation projects sites to confirm the successful creation of habitat, and provides detailed reports to document the process.

Water Quality Monitoring

Services offered in water quality monitoring for construction projects encompass a comprehensive range of measures aimed at ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and minimizing the impact of construction activities on aquatic and marina ecosystems. These services include regular monitoring of parameters such as turbidity, sedimentation, pH, dissolved oxygen, and other contaminants. Monitoring may involve the deployment of specialized equipment and techniques, such as turbidity meters, sediment traps, and water sampling protocols.

Additionally, Ocean Consulting may provide expertise in developing and implementing effective erosion and sediment control plans, as well as contingency measures to address any unforeseen environmental concerns. Through proactive monitoring and mitigation strategies, these services help construction projects maintain water quality standards and mitigate potential risks to surrounding areas.

Dredging & Turbidity Monitoring (NTU's) & Turbidity Control

Ocean Consulting provides turbidity monitoring surveys for all of our water consulting projects. Here's an example of the process.

Turbidity control during construction involves daily monitoring using a Hach 1200Q Handheld Turbidity Meter, with readings taken every 4 hours or more frequently if needed to prevent water quality violations. Samples are collected at two locations: one outside the construction area to establish natural background levels and another directly outside the turbidity curtains to access compliance. Samples are taken at water surface, mid-level and bottom. If the compliance samples exceed the background by the permit-specified NTU level or more, operations causing the violation cease immediately, and regulatory agencies like Miami-Dade Country DERM or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FLDEP) are notified. Proper control of turbidity is ensured through the use of turbidity curtains and other proactive protective measures. Work resumes only after water quality returns to background levels or with regulatory approval. The water quality measurement data is reported weekly to the regulatory.

FEMA Mapping and RE-Mapping

Ocean Consulting performs site specific coastal analyses to determine if it's possible to re-map FEMA's flood zones on your property. If a Project site is determined to be in a lower flood zone classification through the site-specific analyses. Ocean Consulting's team will then walk the Client through a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) and/or the Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) process(es) so that the Project site can permanently reflect the new flood zone designation. Often, the re-mapping projects save clients (property owners, and/or associates) significant monies, and the consulting fee for this work is small compared to the overall cost savings for the client.

Benthic Surveying

Marine Resource Mapping

Preserving and protecting the marine environment for future generations is our highest priority. The first step in habitat preservation starts in understanding what species and habitats are present at a project site. Ocean Consulting uses industry standard techniques to survey benthic habitats and document the presence of seagrass, corals and/or sponge communities. Our biologists are proficient in species identification and quantitive assessments of species density and habitat quality. Our scientists will then use AutoCAD software to map the locations of these sensitive organisms to determine what impact, if any, a proposed waterfront development project may have on the environment. Any impacts to sensitive marine resources can then be minimized through mindful Project design.

Bathymetric/Hydrographic Surveying

Understanding the physical characteristics of the baybottom is just as important to Project Design as understanding the biological diversity on site. Therefore, Ocean Consulting has the ability to conduct bathymetric surveys to map the bottom contours and water depths at a given location. Ocean Consulting utilizes advanced equipment and technology, including HYPACK navigational software and sonar, to map even the most challenging environments so you can fully understand the feasibility of your project.

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