Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve (EBAP) staff often find interesting flora and fauna while out in the field. This week was no exception. Commonly known as a lightning whelk, Sinistrofulgur perversum, is a type of mollusk or marine snail that can be found throughout Estero Bay. This snail creates a shell that spirals in the opposite direction of other locally found marine snails. Interestingly, it is one of the few left-handed snail species!

Charlotte Harbor AP and Estero Bay Aquatic Preserves staff showcased their displays and outreach items at the annual Ft. Myers Boat Show. They teamed up with Clean Boating staff and members of the Friends of Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves and the Estero Bay Buddies to spread awareness of the local aquatic preserves and how to protect them.

The Southwest APs and DEP South District Offices Conduct Cleanups for DEP Stewardship Day 

EBAP assisted a researcher and interns from Mote Marine Laboratory in their collection of seagrass samples from Estero Bay. These samples will be used to study the genetic distribution of seagrasses and to determine experimentally if any genotypes are more resilient to various stressors than others.

It is a place of many appearances depending on the time of day and season, but regardless of the moment, Estero Bay is a nature lover’s paradise.