One of the larger concerns within the Pensacola Bay community is the number of health advisories issued in our local waterways. For most of the bay area where people swim, health advisories are not as big of an issue. But they can be in ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
Water lilies so captivated the attention of French impressionist painter Claude Monet that he created over 250 paintings featuring them. Their beauty is quite striking—we are not accustomed to seeing flowers blooming on the water’s surface, ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
I spent this past Saturday working at a "Pollination Celebration" held at the Panhandle Butterfly House. Located for over 20 years in Navarre, they’re now in the heart of downtown Milton, Florida. The facility is centered in a restored ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources
Century plants (Agave americana) look wild. They grow as thick succulents for years, giving the impression of an aloe plant on steroids. They squat intimidatingly on the ground, boasting giant blue-green leaves and no showy flowers. Their ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
I can still remember the first time I saw a horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) in the wild. I didn’t grow up on the coast, and owe much of my early and deep love of marine ecosystems to a brave and energetic elementary school science ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, WildlifeAs mentioned in Part 1 of this series, when I first joined Sea Grant my advisory mentioned that water quality was a primary issue and that fish kills and health advisories were a concern. In Part 1 we addressed the fish kill issue, in Part ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, Water
Over time, we have learned how building so much “gray” infrastructure (roads, buildings, parking lots) affects our water quality. To offset these impacts, we’ve started using green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to bring back trees, ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
As the war against invasive species continues, we are always on the look for new potential threats. And we have one – the marsh dayflower (Murdannia keisak). Across the country, states spend hundreds of thousands ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural ResourcesWhen I first joined Florida Sea Grant, my advisory committee told me one of the larger issues in our community was water quality. As I dug a little deeper, they mentioned reducing fish kills and health advisories. Those who lived in the ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
For over 10 years now Florida Sea Grant, and numerous volunteers, have been trying to remove an invasive plant from Pensacola Beach, the plant is beach vitex. This vine from Asia can eventually impact our dunes in a similar way as kudzu has ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural Resources