Quantifying River Flow Metrics for the Apalachicola River was the focus of November’s Sci-Café webinar. Dr. Steve Leitman, who has worked on Apalachicola River issues for decades, provided an overview of a new project aimed at developing scientifically defensible river flow metrics to evaluate potential modifications to federal reservoir operations in the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) River system.
This week, ANERR research staff were able to complete routine cleaning and maintenance of their 5 water quality monitoring stations. Over time, the PVC tubes that house our water quality monitoring equipment become biofouled from barnacles, oysters, algae, mud, and more. This can alter the conditions within the tube, creating a microcosm that is not representative of the water surrounding it.
Two weeks ago, the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserve (NWFLAP) team visited the St. Joseph Bay Buffer Preserve, ANERR and coordinated with regional staff to receive training and learn about local projects. The Buffer Preserve and Apalachicola are about 3.5 hours east of Pensacola.
A Franklin/Gulf County affiliation of home school students recently joined us to study oysters and other animals in the estuarine habitat. Even the youngest students are able to draw, and so it was easy to see evidence that they could understand why oysters are a keystone species.
The Fishy Fashion Show exhibit and opening night were a mixture of joy, silliness, education, seriousness, and creativity. These are essential ingredients of success when trying to get an important message out to the public. Artist Joan Matey’s costumes made of marine debris delivered a message both powerful and fun.
Our Apalachicola NERR education staff recently collaborated on a pair of Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshops hosted by the Rookery Bay NERR education staff. This TOTE was put on as part of a collaborative partnership between the 2 NERRS and with the Everglades Foundation.
Last week, Carrabelle Beach saw its first sea turtle activity of the season. Two Loggerhead crawls were reported to Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve's stewardship team, and we went out to assess them right away. We determined one was a false crawl, and one was a nest. Sea turtle nesting activity on Carrabelle Beach is rare.
This past week, Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve’s (ANERR) research team was able to complete the routine exchange of their long-term continuous water quality monitoring at seven sites across ANERR. These exchanges are key to maintain accurate data. Freshly calibrated equipment is put out while the instruments in the field are retrieved, leading to little or no gaps in the data.
The ecological and cultural significance of Apalachicola Bay underscores the importance of maintaining the health and functionality of our natural resources. The Apalachicola Bay Watershed is an environmental treasure that supports one of the most unique ecological systems in the world.