February is American Heart Month and when I think of heart, my thoughts turn to seafood. Perhaps that is unusual, but I love seafood and the fact that the American Heart Association recommends 1 to 2 seafood meals a week fits right into my gastronomic ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
There are a lot of good oyster quotes. One I remember from childhood is the saying to only eat oysters in months with the letter “r,” basically September to April. I believe this originated when all oysters came from the wild. This was a ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine
The northwest Florida area has been identified as having the highest concentration of invasive lionfish in the world. Lionfish pose a significant threat to our native wildlife and habitat with spearfishing the primary means of control. Lionfish ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Natural ResourcesJune is National Ocean Month. Close your eyes and think about just how many oceans there are. Surprise, there is only one! The ocean is huge, covering over 70 percent of the earth’s surface. Traditionally, the ocean was divided into four ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
We’re highlighting all things Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) in 2021 as the program marks its 20th anniversary. To learn more about FMNP, view the first blog post here. Click the image to download and enjoy the May ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesI am a curious person by nature. When I first moved to the Emerald Coast, I had many questions about the area. For example, why do they call this the Emerald Coast? To help answer my questions, I turned to the Destin History and Fishing ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
It’s February and for many, our thoughts turn to romance and other things that make the heart happy, like seafood! There is a strong “love” connection between consuming seafood and heart health. Fish and shellfish are low in saturated ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS Extension
Fishing is big business in Florida, contributing billions of dollars each year to the state’s economy. Fishing guides are an important part of the fishing industry. Guides provide locals and tourists alike with authentic Florida fishing experiences ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Most of us are familiar with the traditional cowboy rodeo like the one held in Baker, FL each year. However, we have a different kind of rodeo happening in our backyard that some may not be as familiar with, the Destin Fishing Rodeo. The ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Recreation, , Water, Wildlife
During a recent fishing trip, as we jigged for bait and got repeated stuck by the tiny hooks, talk turned to the recent reports of a death and infections in the Florida Panhandle from the saltwater-dwelling bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus. Many ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water