Big Claw River Shrimp
One of the more interesting parts of being a Sea Grant Agent is when people send me their ‘Do you know what this is?’ mystery finds. A recent one came from my friend Kelly. Kelly’s husband Jimmy, a… Read More
Category: Coasts & Marine
Reproductive Strategies in the Marine World
With the exception of humans, and our spayed and neutered pet friends, survival and passing on genes through reproduction are all encompassing for the remainder of the animal kingdom, the marine environment included. Marine organisms have a fascinating… Read More
Tunicates – those gelatinous blobs
[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”3″]—————————————————————————————————————————————– Every spring they appear in force, growing through the summer and then they seem to diminish in late fall. “They” are tunicates, affectionately known as sea squirts and sometimes sea pork. Tunicates are invertebrates, meaning they… Read More
Preparing for Future Growth in Boating on County Waterways
The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners approved two important boating and waterways planning documents on April 9th. Both documents were prepared by the University of Florida, Florida Sea Grant College Program to help the County prepare for… Read More
Fisheries Regulations Questions and Answers
In March, Florida Sea Grant and NOAA partnered to conduct a series of workshops aimed at clarifying existing fisheries regulations for offshore recreational and commercial fishermen. Six workshops took place in Florida. During the workshops NOAA National Marine… Read More
Charlotte County Planning for Future Waterway Access
Florida Sea Grant recently completed a study designed to provide Charlotte County with a planning instrument that specifies the type, quantity, and location of public shore access and boating facilities needed to meet anticipated demand through 2050 while… Read More
Estuary Nurseries: Early life histories of popular sportfish
Perhaps the most well-known function of estuaries, such as Charlotte Harbor, is their role as nursery grounds for growing fish, shrimp and shellfish. Very few marine species spawn in estuaries, but estuaries are used extensively as nursery grounds. … Read More
Summertime Fish Kills
Each summer, fish kills occur in freshwater and saltwater environments. They occur in natural systems, retention ponds and aquaculture production facilities. Such kills often occur seemingly unexpectedly, and many times result in emotional and/or economic loss. There are… Read More
Bay Scallops in SWFL: Still A Protected Species
The Florida bay scallop is a bivalve mollusk that grows and lives in seagrass beds in relatively shallow water, 4 to 10 feet deep. At one time scallops could be found from Palm Beach to Pensacola. Today,… Read More
Things that glow in the water at night
Charlotte County Sea Grant Extension This article appeared in the September 29, 2011 edition of Waterline Magazine Have you ever been out on the water at night and observed the water glowing? The glow may be shades of blues… Read More