Tag: coastal wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Coastal Dune Lakes

by Carrie Stevenson
November 20, 2025

Formed at the edge of freshwater and salt, dense forest and open water, scrubby dune and open marsh, the diversity along and within coastal dune lakes is tremendous. Coastal dune lakes are shallow, irregularly shaped, permanent bodies of ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Gulf Of Mexico, Habitat Conservation, Recreation, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Gulf toadfish

by Carrie Stevenson
June 17, 2025

Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) are among those species that only a mother could love. Squat and bumpy, big-headed, scaleless, slow, and unwieldy, they truly resemble land-based amphibians more than the sleek, fast fish to which we are accustomed. ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Estuaries, Fish, Gulf Of Mexico, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Morgan Park

by Carrie Stevenson
March 19, 2025

It’s spring break season, and area beaches are loaded up with students and families taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine and water along our coasts. Tucked among the full parking lots, restaurants, and entertainment venues on the ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Gulf Of Mexico, Trees, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Biodiversity

by Carrie Stevenson
February 13, 2025

According to Conservation International, there are 36 biodiversity hotspots worldwide. These are defined as areas with “at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Education, Estuaries, Florida Panhandle, Gulf Of Mexico, Pollinators, Water Quality, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Venetian Crabs

by Carrie Stevenson
December 11, 2024

If you live near or visit the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico coasts, odds are you’re a fan of the Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Fried or steamed legs and claws, crabcakes, entire softshell crabs—that sweet crab meet is delicious ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Edibles, Habitat Conservation, Invasive Species, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Striped burrfish

by Carrie Stevenson
November 21, 2024

I have a vivid memory of snorkeling the seagrass beds around Port St. Joe when I was an undergraduate marine biology student. Our field research lab involved completing a visual fish survey, using waterproof dive slates and pencils to record ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Estuaries, Fisheries, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Brazilian aeolid

by Carrie Stevenson
November 6, 2024

Every now and then, we get a true “what IS it?” come through our office. A couple of weeks ago, a local oysterman found one of the weirdest organisms I’ve ever seen. This tiny creature was only an inch long, and had what looked ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Estuaries, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Snake eel

by Carrie Stevenson
October 16, 2024

While we have luckily avoided direct impacts from recent hurricanes Helene and Milton in northwest Florida, we still felt their massive size and power. These storms whipped up the entire Gulf of Mexico, pushing creatures rarely seen above ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Fish, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Mudsnakes

by Carrie Stevenson
August 7, 2024

People have a lot of strong feelings about snakes. Whether it be fear, alarm, hatred, or wonder, it’s rare someone doesn’t react at all to seeing a snake in front of them. I will say, though, that when one of our volunteers sent a photo ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Estuaries, Snakes, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Oyster drill

by Carrie Stevenson
June 12, 2024

Last week, I took a group of kids on a beach walk at Deadman’s Island in Gulf Breeze. They picked up hermit crabs, watched shorebirds, and looked for interesting finds along the beach. Toward the east end of the peninsula (it’s not actually ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Estuaries, Invasive Species, Pensacola Bay, Weekly What Is It

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