Extension offices across the district are now slowly opening on a limited basis. Some essential programs are being provided with limited attendance and social distancing. It is still best to contact us by phone or email.

A few of our CITIZEN SCIENCE projects will begin again this week. Read below for details on which and when.

WEBINAR – UF IFAS WATER SCHOOL: MANAGING STORMWATER IN A CHANGING FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

We would like to invite you to a two-part webinar series on ‘Managing Stormwater in a Changing Florida Panhandle’.

Day 1: Stormwater Management: Nuts & Bolts – Fundamentals
When: Jun 15, 2020, 8:00 am to 10:00 am Central (9:00 am to 11:00 am Eastern)
Topics:
• Watershed Hydrology in Northwest Florida
• Importance of Stormwater Management
• Stormwater Pollutants: Sources, Fate, Transport, and Impacts
• LID/GI Concepts, Typical Realizations/Practices and their Pros and Cons

Day 2 – Stormwater Maintenance
When: Jun 22, 2020, 8:00 am to 10:00 am Central (9:00 am to 11:00 am Eastern)

Topics:

• LID/GI/Stormwater Maintenance – stormwater ponds and LID/GI common practices,
• Planning Tools

o Green infrastructure and issues with scale (headwaters versus larger watersheds)

o Integrated Planning Approach (Capital Improvement Plan)

o NPDES Permitting

o Incorporating practices into predictive models

• Local Case Studies
• Funding Opportunities for LID projects – FDEP

 

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEtceCqqzosGdADpT2WhaaWkYjavHkIuXvR

 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information and password for joining the meeting.

 

 

BITE SIZED SCIENCE WEBINARS

Florida Sea Grant is presenting short webinars are a variety of marine science related topics.

We will going to a Tuesday-Thursday schedule for June and July. 3:00 PM CDT. Registration link http://bit.ly/bite-sizedscience

 

TODAY – 3:00 PM

Offshore Aquaculture – Dr. Laura Tiu

 

NEXT WEEK

Tue Introduction to Harmful Algal Blooms – Dr. Lisa Krimsky

Thu Introduction to Keeping Saltwater Aquaria – Mike Sipos

 

 

SEAFOOD @ YOUR FINGERTIPS

Live broadcast of local seafood items and how to prepare them. The presentations will include cooking!

Each Wednesday – 5:00 PM – http://www.flseagrant.org/seafood/seafoodatyourfingertips/

This Week: Sardine Toast with Avocado

 

 

MANATEE SIGHTINGS – 2 manatees reported this week

Both in the Gulf Breeze area – please keep a look out while boating.

Please contact me if you see one. Thanks

 

CURRENT ARTICLES

 

ESCAMBIA COUNTY EXTENSION NATURAL RESOURCE BLOGS

 

Weekly “What is it?” – Sundews

Carrie Stevenson

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2020/05/27/weekly-what-is-it-sundews/.

 

Embrace the Gulf 2020 – The Nematodes

Continuing this series about the natural and cultural history of “The Pond”

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2020/05/27/embrace-the-gulf-2020-nematodes/.

 

2020 Year of the Turtle – Diamondback Terrapins

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2020/05/17/2020-year-of-the-turtle-diamondback-terrapins/.

Panhandle Outdoors

Outdoor Ethics – http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/.

Embrace the Gulf 2020 – The Nematodes – http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/.

 

 

UF IFAS Water Management Lunch & Learn Courses

The lunch and learn In-Service Training opportunity, Introduction to Water Resources Management in Florida has been updated to ensure the safety and security of these webinars. We have changed the Zoom link and are requiring registration for all webinars.

Topic	Presenter	Date	Click Link to Register
TMDLs overview	Mary Lusk	3/17/20	Video recording here
BMAPs overview	Lisa Krimsky and Charles Barrett	4/28/20	Register here
BMAPs – Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4)	Eban Bean	5/19/20	Register here
BMAPs – On-site sewage systems	Andrea Albertin	6/16/20	Register here
BMAPs – Ag BMPs	Lakesh Sharma	7/14/20	Register here
Hydrology 101 and using the DBYHYDRO environmental dataset	Haimanote Bayabil	8/18/20	Register here

You can view the past webinars at : https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/martin/sea-grant—martinst-lucie/.

Water Quality Updates

Health Advisories

• May 26 – Bayou Texar, Perdido Key SP, Ft. Pickens, Opal Beach, Casino Beach, Park East, Quietwater Beach (all good)
• May 18 – Big Lagoon SP, Johnson’s Beach, Park West (moderate)
• May 26 – Bayou Chico, Bayou Grande, Sanders Beach (POOR) – Advisories issued for Grande and Chico
• See all data below

Rainfall

• The rain is returning… and the fires are under control
• Rainfall collected weekly from East Hill (UF IFAS)
• Mean annual rainfall historically around 60” each year
• 2019 rainfall total in East Hill was 47.5”. Rainfall for airport was similar.
• Jan (4.0) Feb (2.8) Mar (0.6) – Winter (7.4”)
• Apr (3.2) May (1.6)

Salinity

• The objective of this citizen science project is to determine the mean/median/mode of salinity in local waterbodies for the purpose to assess the potential success of restoration projects: such as bay scallop and specific species of seagrasses. We are looking for a mean/median/mode of 20‰ or higher. We are hoping to get a minimum of 100 measurements from each location.
• 2020 1^st Quarter Results
• Those with Mean/Mode of 20‰ or higher: Grande, Big Lagoon, Lower Perdido Bay, Old River
• Those below 20‰ at this time: Kees Bayou, Little Sabine
• MONITORING BEGINS AGAIN THIS WEEK – 2nd Quarter Report coming

Longnose Killifish Monitoring

• ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Red Tide & Harmful Algal Blooms

• Last report for RED TIDE was posted May 22 (FWC)
• Panhandle – not detected
• SW Florida – background concentrations in Manatee County
• East Coast of FL – not detected
• HABs not detected in panhandle this week

Fish Kills

• No Fish Kills reported in Escambia / Santa Rosa for Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, or May
• Report fish kills to FWC at – https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/.

Marine Science Academy – Washington High School – Fish & Water Quality Data – updated

http://whs-ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/MarineScienceAcademy.

 

 

Habitat Restoration

• OCEAN HOUR IS BACK IN ACTION ON A SMALL SCALE
• – Meet at 8:45 AM; clean ups are from 9:00 – 10:00 AM
• – Check their website for this weekends location
• Living Shorelines – NO SITE VISITS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
• Seagrass Monitoring – WILL BE RESUMING THIS WEEK
• – If interested in this citizen science project – contact me.
• Mangrove Migration – ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Wildlife & Fisheries Updates

 

• Panhandle Diamondback Terrapin Project – WILL BE RESUMING THIS WEEK
• – If interested – contact me.
• Horseshoe Crabs – ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
• Barrier Island Cottonmouth Survey – ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
• The Great Scallop Search – PLANNED FOR JUNE 13 – ON HOLD FOR NOW
• The Great Scavenger Hunt – PLANNED FOR SEP 12
• Manatee Watch – PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH SIGHTINGS (roc1@ufl.edu)
• 2020 Goliath Grouper Count – coming in June; more details coming
• IT IS BIRD NESTING SEASON ON OUR BARRIER ISLANDS – please slow down
• SALTWATER FISHING
• – June 1 – Gag grouper opens in state and federal waters of the panhandle from Escambia to Gulf counties.
• – June 1 – Greater Amberjack closes in state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
• – June 2, 4 – FWC seeks input on flounder management; 5:00 PM; join meeting at adobeconnect.com/mfm

 

Invasive Species Updates

 

• Weed Wrangles – ON HOLD FOR NOW
• Lionfish
• – 2020 Emerald Coast Open – ON HOLD
• Inshore Lionfish Surveys – ON HOLD – IF YOU SEE ANY LIONFISH NEARSHORE OR IN THE BAY, PLEASE CONTACT ME
• Regal Demoiselle – Currently working on post on how to identify and report this reef fish
• – For information on this view video at https://www.facebook.com/PanhandleOutdoorsNews/.
• Brown (Cuban) Anole – REPORT TO EDDMAPS IF FOUND IN YARD
• Tropical Fish Species of Concern – Currently working on publication; MORE SOON.
• SCAVENGER HUNT – scheduled for Sep 12; more to come.

 

Seafood Updates

• SEAFOOD @ YOUR FINGERTIPS

– Each Wednesday @ 5:00 PM – http://www.flseagrant.org/seafood/seafoodatyourfingertips/

• – THIS WEEK – SARDINE TOAST WITH AVOCADO
• Local Seafood is here and available! Consider local seafood for your meal choices
• Here’s what’s in Peak Season for JUNE
• – Softshell blue crab
• – Clams
• – Crawfish
• – Mahi-Mahi
• – Brown shrimp (bay shrimp)
• – Pink shrimp
• – Rock shrimp
• – White shrimp (Gulf shrimp)
• – Snapper – check state limits and accessibility; change frequently
• – Yellowfin tuna
• Seafood Safety Guidelines – Escambia County Division of Marine Resources – https://www.myescambia.com/our-services/natural-resources-management/marine-resources/seafood-safety.

 

HEALTH ADVISORY DATA

Enterococcus bacteria count rubric for health advisories (Florida Department of Health)

 

GOOD 0-35 colonies/100ml of sample

MODERATE 36-70 colonies/100ml

POOR 71> colonies/100ml

 

Health Advisory Frequency

Data provided by the Florida Department of Health’s Healthy Beaches Program

Body of Water	# of samples collected	# of POOR reports	# of advisories issued	% frequency of advisories
Bayou Texar	17	6	6	.35
Sanders Beach	14	2	0	.00
Bayou Chico	9	1	1	.11
Bayou Grande	8	2	2	.25
Big Lagoon SP	7	0	0	.00
Perdido Key SP	8	0	0	.00
Casino Beach	7	0	0	.00
Park East	7	1	0	.00
Park West	7	0	0	.00
Quietwater Beach	7	0	0	.00
Ft. Pickens	1	0	0	.00
Opal Beach	1	0	0	.00

 

 

Fish Kill Data provided by FWC (Escambia and Santa Rosa counties)

Month	# of Fish Kills reported	# of Dead Fish reported	Cause
Jan	0	0
Feb	0	0
Mar	0	0
Apr	0	0
May	0	0