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.
Water Quality Updates
Health Advisories
- Jun 29 – Bayou Chico (POOR), Bayou Texar (MODERATE), Bayou Grande, Big Lagoon SP, Perdido Key SP and Sanders Beach (all GOOD)
- Jun 30 – Casino Beach, Park East, Park West, Quietwater Beach (all GOOD)
- See all data below
Rainfall
- Rainfall collected weekly from East Hill (UF IFAS)
- Jan (4.0) Feb (2.8) Mar (0.6) – Winter (7.4”)
- Apr (3.2) May (1.6) Jun (6.5) – Spring (11.3”)
- Jul (0.1)
Salinity
- The objective to see who has a MEAN salinity at or greater than 20‰ for restoration purposes.
- 2020 1st Quarter Results
- > 20‰: Bayou Grande, Big Lagoon, Lower Perdido Bay, Old River
- < 20‰ at this time: Kees Bayou, Little Sabine
Longnose Killifish Monitoring
- Longnose killifish (Fundulus similis) is being used as an indicator of freshwater tributaries.
- Project on hold due to COVID-19
Red Tide & Harmful Algal Blooms
- Last report for RED TIDE was posted Jun 19 (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, May, or Jun
- 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 Updates
- Living Shorelines
- – We are not currently working on any projects; IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A LIVING SHORELINE – CONTACT US
- Seagrass Monitoring
- – We have begun monitoring in Big Lagoon. A few stations do need volunteers. Some stations will require a boat to access. If interested – contact me.
- Mangrove Surveys
- – We are ready to begin surveying for mangroves in the bay area. Paddle craft needed for this, paddleboard works best. If interested – contact me.
- OCEAN HOUR – Suspending all clean ups for the time being
Wildlife Monitoring Updates
- Terrapin Surveys – ongoing until Sep 30 – if interested contact me
- Horseshoe Crabs – will resume in the fall – Oct 1
- Barrier Island Cottonmouth Survey – ongoing until Sep 30 – update report in fall
- The Great Scallop Search – WE ARE PLANNING FOR THIS NOW – STAY TUNED
- The Great Scavenger Hunt – planned for week of Sep 13-19; one on Perdido Key, one on Pensacola Beach – stay tuned
- Manatee Watch – No manatees reported this week. One reported in Santa Rosa Sound near Tiger Point last week. 20 reports since Jan 1
- – PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH SIGHTINGS (roc1@ufl.edu)
- IT IS BIRD NESTING SEASON ON OUR BARRIER ISLANDS – please slow down
Invasive Species Updates
- Cuban Treefrog Records – there has been an increase in reports of these animals in our area. Read the following article to find out where and how to manage this before they become a bigger problem –
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2020/07/02/are-we-being-invaded-by-cuban-treefrogs-maybe/.
- Weed Wrangles – ON HOLD FOR NOW
- Lionfish
- – 2020 Emerald Coast Open – Sep 11-13 in Destin
- – Inshore Lionfish Surveys – on hold – IF YOU SEE ANY LIONFISH NEARSHORE OR IN THE BAY, PLEASE CONTACT ME
- The Great Scavenger Hunt – scheduled for the week of Sep 13-19; one on Perdido Key, one on Pensacola Beach
Seafood in Peak Season for July
- Rolling out of peak season
- – Softshell blue crab
- – Mahi-Mahi
- In peak season
- – Crawfish
- – Brown shrimp (bay shrimp)
- – Pink shrimp
- – Rock shrimp
- – White shrimp (Gulf shrimp)
- – Snapper – check state limits and accessibility; change frequently
- – Yellowfin tuna
- Beginning peak season
- – Flounder
- – King Mackerel – children, pregnant women should only consume one serving a week
- Seafood Safety Guidelines – Escambia County Division of Marine Resources – https://www.myescambia.com/our-services/natural-resources-management/marine-resources/seafood-safety.
Upcoming Programs
BITE SIZED SCIENCE WEBINARS
Florida Sea Grant is presenting short webinars are a variety of marine science related topics.
We will be going to a Tuesday-Thursday schedule for June and July. 3:00 PM CDT. Registration link http://bit.ly/bite-sizedscience
NEXT WEEK
Tue (Jul 7) Seaweeds & Drift Algae – Capt. Betty Staugler & Dr. Lisa Krimsky
Thu (Jul 9) Sea Sponges – Shelly Krueger
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: Crabby Potatoes
SEA GRANT OIL SPILL TEAM WEBINARS
Breaking it down: Oil in the environment—July 14, 2-3:30 pm CST/3-4:30 EST— https://gulfseagrant.org/oilspilloutreach/presentations/breaking-it-down-oil-in-the-environment/
Every snow often oil, microbes, and sediment get together and sink, a seminar on marine snow—July 22, 1-2:30 pm CST/2-3:30 EST. https://gulfseagrant.org/every-snow-often-oil-microbes-and-sediment-get-together-and-sink/
Current Articles
Weekly “What is it?” – Perennial Peanut
Carrie Stevenson
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/category/natural-resources/.
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – The Bivalves
Continuing this series about the natural and cultural history of “The Pond”
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/category/natural-resources/.
2020 Year of the Turtle – The Florida Cooters
Continuing this series on Florida turtle.
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/category/natural-resources/.
Florida Fishing Guide Certification Program
A Florida Sea Grant program designed to help fishing guides become environmentally aware
http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/.
Doing Something During the Dog Days of Summer
An explanation of what the dog days are and how you can enjoy the outdoors during this time
http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/.
Are We Being Invaded by Cuban Treefrogs? Maybe…
Increase reports of this invasive amphibian in the panhandle sparks some discussion on how to manage
http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/.
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 | 22 | 7 | 7 | .32 |
| Sanders Beach | 19 | 3 | 0 | .00 |
| Bayou Chico | 14 | 3 | 3 | .21 |
| Bayou Grande | 13 | 3 | 3 | .23 |
| Big Lagoon SP | 11 | 1 | 0 | .00 |
| Perdido Key SP | 13 | 0 | 0 | .00 |
| Casino Beach | 12 | 0 | 0 | .00 |
| Park East | 12 | 1 | 0 | .00 |
| Park West | 12 | 0 | 0 | .00 |
| Quietwater Beach | 12 | 0 | 0 | .00 |
| Ft. Pickens | 3 | 0 | 0 | .00 |
| Opal Beach | 3 | 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 | |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
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