Introduction The bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) was once common in the lower portions of the Pensacola Bay system. However, by 1970 they were all but gone. Closely associated with seagrass, especially turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
UPDATE (8-27-2024): Pasco scallop season reopens, starting August 28th, 2024. FWC has reopened and extended the recreational scallop season in Pasco County. After continuous testing, measured levels for both the algae (Pyrodinium bahamense) ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Food Safety, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, WildlifeI remember scalloping when I was young. We traveled to Port St. Joe Florida and camped at a local fish camp. We pitched our tent right at the edge of the water, which was a mistake because we felt the bumps and movements of the fiddler crabs ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
As I write this, we are in the middle of our 2023 Scallop Search, an event we do each year to assess whether the scallops in Pensacola Bay are trying to make a comeback on their own. Each year I am amazed at how popular this little mollusk ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesIntroduction The bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) was once a common bivalve in the lower portion of Pensacola Bay. Found in the thick grassbeds of Big Lagoon and Santa Rosa Sound, it provided both a recreational and commercial fishery ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesWe round out National Estuaries Week with an article about yet another marine animal that was once common in lower Pensacola Bay and disappeared. This is one that many local residents would LOVE to see make a return. It is the bay scallop. Many ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Chuck before you shuck! Leave the small scallops behind! Did you know bay scallops in Florida's waters only live for 18 months? Or that the recreational harvest season along the Gulf Coast occurs before scallops are allowed to reproduce? ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, WildlifeScallops… We used to find them here. I have heard stories of folks who could fill a 5-gallon bucket with them in about 30 minutes right by Morgan Park. An old shrimper told me that back in the day when shrimping in Santa Rosa Sound ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
One of the programs I focus on as a Sea Grant Extension Agent in Escambia County is restoring the health of our estuary. One of the projects in that program is increasing the encounters with estuarine animals that were once common. Currently ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Recreational scalloping along Florida's Adventure Coast is finally here! Are you ready? Here are some answers to some FAQ about scalloping in Hernando County. Is there somewhere I can walk off of the shore and go scalloping? Scallops are ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife