I keep a shelf full of little natural curiosities above my desk—shells, seed pods, sand dollars, and other keepsakes—but one of my favorites is the delicate casing of a decorator/plumed worm. Frequently found amidst the shells, sargassum, ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
As the Sea Grant Extension Agent in Escambia County, one of my program areas is to help restore a healthy estuary. To do this we focus on educating the public how to improve water quality, restore habitat, and manage invasive species, but ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Imagine… It is 1922 and you are rowing your wooden skiff from a small beach house near what will become the town of Gulf Breeze Florida across Santa Rosa Sound on your way to Santa Rosa Island. The water is 10-15 feet deep, and you can ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
It was a typical weekday evening text for me—a video from a friend showing several interesting sea creatures and the message, “Do you know what these are? Some kind of mussel?” While the white-shelled creatures attached to a piece ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
It is mid-spring and time of nesting for much of the wildlife in the area. It is also noticeably warmer than our previous hikes. Due to my work schedule, and the surveys for other nesting activity, I did this hike earlier in the month and ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
EDRR Invasive Species Guinea Grass (Megathyrus maximum) Define Invasive Species: must have ALL of the following – Is non-native to the area, in our case northwest Florida Introduced by humans, whether intentional ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural Resources
I love bogs. The mucky, sunny spaces here in northwest Florida are inevitably full of beauty and surprises. Due to the sopping wet, acidic, and nutrient poor soil, plants in these areas must make some unusual adaptations. As I have written ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
Imperiled (verb) – put at risk of being harmed, injured, or destroyed. In 2021 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection classified 44 area waterways in the Pensacola Bay System as imperiled. Such designations are based ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
As I looked out the backseat of the car window as a kid in Mississippi, it covered everything along the highways—the gullies in the shade, the ridges and hills, abandoned buildings, telephone poles. My imaginative mind easily pretended ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural Resources
I recently saw a news clip about a new Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) ruling for shrimpers. I was interested in this new ruling but also asked the question – “Where did all of the shrimpers go?” What I mean ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources