by John Wells | Jul 1, 2011
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Brooke Saari
Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent
Okaloosa & Walton Counties
bsaari@ufl.edu
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Have you ever considered what the Gulf of Mexico means to you? Is it important to you? Putting a value on an ecosystem or the services it provides is very difficult. However, it is done all the time on smaller scales, like the selling of land. The recent oil spill placed a new focus on the Gulf of Mexico and what it means to us.
Planting sea oats to protect dune systems and increase habitat. Photo Credits: Robert Turpin, Escambia County
Each of us may place a different value on the Gulf of Mexico, but the economic value is clear. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service 2008 Fisheries Economics of the United States regional report the gross domestic product for the Gulf of Mexico totaled $2.35 trillion in 2007. In 2008, Florida generated over $5.7 billion sales, 108,600 jobs, and $3.1 billion income impacts due to the fishing industry of the Gulf. Over 54,600 jobs were supported in West Florida alone as part of the recreational fishing industry. These figures represent some of the easily tracked and quantified services that the Gulf of Mexico provides. However, there is more than fishing that makes this water body important. The Gulf of Mexico also provides protective and regulating services. Coastal wetlands in the U.S. provide over $23 million in protection for the mainland. These protections are in the form of sand bars, barrier islands, coastal dunes, and sea grass beds. All of these natural features provide a line of defense against extreme storms, surge, waves and winds which would otherwise need to be provided artificially. These areas also provide essential habitat that supports many of our sport fish, as well as a variety of threatened and endangered species. The currents help fuel weather patterns and climate which are defined by oceans. These massive water bodies are the basis for precipitation which directly impacts and feeds our water supplies, agricultural production and transportation.
Sharing the natural resources of the Gulf. Photo Credits: Andrew Diller
Oceans also provide opportunities for medical advances and educational focus due to the tremendous biological diversity. Cultural services are the ones that most view as valuable on different levels. These services include providing area for bird watching (over 7 million participants), habitat for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl, and a top destination for tourism. Florida ranks in the top ten destinations to fish, swim, dive, and enjoy the beaches and wetlands. The Gulf of Mexico region also contains two of the ten National Seashores of the National Park Service and seven of the twenty-eight estuaries of national significance. Eco-tourism is a way to enjoy these natural areas in a nature friendly way and is a common occurrence in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding areas.
Kayaking along the Gulf coast. Photo Credits: Andrew Diller
So again, how much does the Gulf of Mexico mean to you? Get out there and enjoy what we have in our own backyard.
by John Wells | Jul 1, 2011
Judy Ludlow
County Extension Director
Calhoun County
judy.ludlow@ufl.edu
Extreme temperatures can cause fish die-offs in Florida’s ponds, estuaries, lakes, and rivers. In large natural areas, these events usually do not cause permanent damage to existing fish populations. Fish die-offs in smaller ponds, although a natural occurrence, can be of concern to the pond owner.
Extreme temperatures can cause fish kills in your pond by reducing oxygen levels suddenly.
In some cases, winter weather can slow the spread of invasive, non-native fish species because some of these non-native fish, like tilapia, are especially susceptible to cold water. The cold water can kill fish outright or may weaken them so that they become more susceptible to disease. Cold weather can also cause a natural process called lake or pond-turnover. Turnover happens when cooled surface water sinks and mixes with deeper, warmer oxygen-poor water (like pouring cold milk into your hot coffee). This mixing, or turnover, with oxygen poor water can cause low oxygen-related fish kills.
As we head towards summer, water that gets too warm also can cause oxygen problems for fish. Warmer water can hold less oxygen than cooler water. Many oxygen-related fish kills happen in the middle of the summer when temperatures are hottest.
Fish need oxygen just as we do, and they absorb oxygen directly from the water as it passes over their gills. Oxygen enters the water primarily by photosynthesis (from algae and aquatic plants) and the atmosphere (wind mixing). The amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water depends on a number of factors, especially water temperature (cold water holds more oxygen than warm water) and the water’s biological productivity. For optimum health, most of Florida’s fish need DO concentrations of at least 5 parts per million (or 5 milligrams per liter or 5 mg/L). Fish can tolerate brief periods of reduced oxygen, but if DO levels drop below 2 mg/L, they can’t always recover; and if concentrations fall below 1 mg/L, fish begin to die. Oxygen-related fish kills usually affect many different sizes and species of fish, whereas cold temperature-related fish kills tend to affect only one or two species. If it is an oxygen-related fish kill, large fish tend to be affected first. Small fish can be seen gulping or gasping for air at the surface.
Fish diseases, parasites, and stresses from poor water quality, overcrowding, and human impacts can also lead to fish kills, but the reduction of dissolved oxygen in a water body is the most common cause of fish kills in Florida throughout the year.
Aerating your pond is one way in which to reduce the chances or severity of a fish kill.
For more information on pond management and fish health please contact your local County Extension office.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) tracks fish kill occurrences in Florida’s natural waters. This helps biologists determine if there are problems that may need further investigation or restorative measures. Residents can report fish kills in natural water bodies to the FWC at http://research.MyFWC.com/fishkill/submit.asp or call the FWC Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511, or visit http://myfwc.com/.
by John Wells | Jul 1, 2011
Bill Mahan
County Extension Director
Franklin
bmahan@ufl.edu
Spring is around the corner and that can only mean one thing, horseshoe crabs! That’s right it’s horseshoe crab survey time!
Horseshoe crab blood looks blue. Photo Credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Each spring the scientists Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) look for volunteers to report horseshoe crab sightings around the state as part of their annual horseshoe crab survey. So, if you would like to be part of the research team, all you need to do is get out and walk along the beach and let FWRI researchers know when you see horseshoe crabs. Please see the information at the end of this article for submission information. The following is some background information on horseshoe crabs.
Horseshoe crabs arrive at a spawing beach. Photo Credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
About Horseshoe Crabs
Horseshoe crabs mass spawing. Photo Credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
•The horseshoe crab is found on shores of the western Atlantic Ocean ranging from Maine to Mexico. Fossils of horseshoe crab ancestors show that these animals have been around for over 350 million years – before the age of dinosaurs. Therefore, it is no surprise that scientists typically refer to horseshoe crabs as “living fossils.”
•Interestingly, horseshoe crabs are not really crabs at all! As it turns out, they are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than they are to true crabs. This is because unlike true crabs, horseshoe crabs do not have antennae or jaws, and their legs are similar to those found on spiders.
•Currently, horseshoe crabs are being harvested commercially for three purposes in the United States: bait (conch & eel fisheries); marine life (aquarium trade, research, etc.); and biomedical (for blood).
•Compared to other states, especially along the Atlantic coast, Florida does not have a large horseshoe crab fishery. The primary harvest in Florida is for marine life.
•Horseshoe crabs are ecologically important. During certain times of the year, horseshoe crabs lay billions of eggs on beaches. These eggs are an important food source for migrating birds and the marine wildlife.
•Horseshoe crabs are also directly important to humans because research on their compound eyes has lead to a better understanding of the human visual system.
•In addition, horseshoe crab blood is widely used by the biomedical industry. Special cells in their blood (which by the way is blue) are used to test for bacterial contamination in our blood supplies and in the production of many commercial drugs. A horseshoe crab’s blood contains hemocyanin, a copper – based molecule that gives it a blue color.
•Finally, the material that makes up their exoskeleton (chiton) is used to make contact lenses, skin creams, and hair sprays.
Horseshoe Crab Anatomy
•The tail of the horseshoe crab is often thought to be a weapon by many people. However, the horseshoe crab is actually harmless and the tail is used to dig through sand and to turn the crab upright if it is accidentally turned over.
•The first pair of legs can be used to distinguish between males and females. Males use their specialized front legs, called claspers, to hold on to the female during spawning.
Project Objectives and Goals
Currently, horseshoe crabs are being over-harvested in some states. The management plan issued by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission requires that all Atlantic coastal states must identify horseshoe crab spawning beaches.
With your help! – FWRI’s goal is to identify horseshoe crab spawning beaches around Florida.
How can you help?
FWRI is asking the public to report sightings of horseshoe crab activities. The information that the researchers would like to collect from you is the following:
•Date and time of your sighting.
•Location of your sighting.
•Whether or not horseshoe crabs were spawning.
•A rough estimate of the number of horseshoe crabs seen.
Spawning behavior of horseshoe crabs is best observed within a few days before and after a full or new moon on sandy beaches with low wave action.
If you want to be more involved, you can contact the FWRI researchers about collecting data on abundance of male and female horseshoe crabs, and on sizes of individuals. You can contact FWRI using any of the following methods:
1.Online survey: www.floridamarine.org/horseshoe_crab/
2.E-mail at FWRI @: horseshoe@fwc.state.fl.us
3.Call them toll-free at: 1-866-252-9326
4.Download the survey at: http://myfwc.com/media/202243/horseshoecrabdatasheet.pdf and mail it to:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Sen. George Kirkpatrick Marine Lab
Attn: Florida Horseshoe Crab Survey
11350 SW 153rd CT
Cedar Key, FL 32625
If you have any questions please let me know. Enjoy your beach walks and crab watching.
by John Wells | Jul 1, 2011
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Carrie T. Stevenson
Coastal Sustainability Agent
Escambia County Extension
ctsteven@ufl.edu
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With dry conditions, mandated water restrictions in many parts of the state, and rising prices of almost everything, water conservation is more important than ever. Floridians use more water than any other state for irrigation, and a typical home sprinkler system can account for half of the cost and water use in a household.
Carrie providing rain barrel assembly instructions.
Like many counties around the state, rain barrels have caught on with Escambia County homeowners as a convenient and efficient way to conserve water. Modern rain barrels involve ancient technology that relies simply on gravity, allowing stormwater to run from a rooftop into a gutter. The gutter funnels water into a plastic food-grade barrel or other container fitted with screen to keep out debris and insects. Most rain barrels also have an overflow device near the top (for heavy storms that might fill the barrel) and a spigot at the bottom for filling a watering can or attaching a hose. Rain barrels vary widely in design, but they can be painted to add a decorative touch, or easily screened behind a shrub.
A volunteer helps with assembly. Photo Credits: Carrie Stevenson
In addition to conserving water, rain barrels and larger-capacity cisterns can be very effective means of preventing stormwater pollution. During a typical 1” rainstorm, an average home’s roof can yield 600 gallons of rainwater runoff that would normally flow downstream, picking up oils, greases, bacteria, trash, and pesticides along the way that end up in our water bodies. Rain barrels interrupt that process by collecting stormwater runoff before it has a chance to pick up pollutants.
Completed barrels can be decorated in many ways.
Escambia County started offering rain barrel workshops in August of 2008, including several school-based programs. Since that time, 143 homeowners, 8 teachers, and dozens of school-age children have built rain barrels. The most recent workshop held in February 2011 attracted 59 participants, including homeowners, college students attending for extra credit, high school students volunteering their time, and 4-H kids looking for a hands-on way to learn about conserving water. Consistent with other program evaluations, results from the meeting showed that 100% of attendees would recommend the workshop to a friend and 97% left with a better understanding of water conservation and stormwater pollution.
Rain barrel workshops at Extension offices throughout the district have led to the creation of the Extension Rainwater Harvesting Demonstration Trailer, which is wrapped in eye-catching graphics and can be towed throughout the district, state, and adjacent states. The trailer contains everything needed for a workshop and/or demonstration, including a working tabletop water collection display, a rain barrel, a cistern, a mock landscape with multiple irrigation distribution types, and educational banners and handouts. We’ve also compiled a CD with regional publications and instructional guides on irrigation, plant selection, and using cisterns and rain barrels. Our website, www.gardeninginthepanhandle.com, currently features links to rainwater harvesting sites. As the project evolves, the site will include maps of rainwater reuse demonstration sites around the district with photos, a workshop schedule, a database of suppliers, demonstration videos, testimonial stories and photos from homeowners who have installed rainwater harvesting devices. The trailer will be featured at the upcoming West Florida Homebuilders’ Association Lawn & Patio Show in Pensacola on April 9, as well as the Power Up Energy Expo, to be held April 11-13 on Pensacola Beach (www.powerupenergyexpo.com).
by John Wells | Jul 1, 2011
Bill Mahan
County Extension Director
Franklin
bmahan@ufl.edu
Are you looking for a great opportunity to volunteer some of your time to help the environment? If so the Audubon Shorebird Stewardship Program might be just for you. This program has already been adopted in a number of places around the United States and in other sites around FL and it has now arrived in Northwest Florida.
Sandwich Tern nesting. Photo Credits: Alan Knothe, Audubon of Florida
In the FL Panhandle region we have many wonderful and interesting birds that call our area beaches home. However, nearly all of these magnificent birds are in a state of decline and many are in serious trouble. Loss of habitat, disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and other factors have combined to threaten many of our shoreline bird species.
Least Tern chick. Photo Credits: Alan Knothe, Audubon of Florida
Many of the birds we love to see and hear at the beach nest right on the sand in shallow scraps. They lay perfectly camouflaged eggs right on the sand. These eggs and chicks rely on mom and dad to protect them from predators, storms and the hot Florida sunshine. Often people or their pets unknowingly flush the parents off the nests. It then only takes moments for the hot sun or an opportunistic predator to take the chicks or eggs.
Black Skimmer chicks. Photo Credits: Alan Knothe, Audubon of Florida
But there is hope. Shorebird Stewards have been making great strides across the state to help protect these birds when they are most vulnerable, during the nesting season. And now the Shorebird Stewardship Program is coming to the Florida Panhandle. Now is your chance to make a real difference by volunteering some of your time to help these birds. The main function of the Steward is to Educate and Protect. Imagine this, you get to hangout on one of our beautiful beaches and at the same time you get to help out these magnificent birds. What a Deal! Stewards work a 2 to 4 hour shift near one the posted nesting sites. They explain to beachgoers why that area of the beach is closed, and they teach them a little bit about the birds (All training will be provided). They can even allow the public a chance to view the birds on the nests from a safe distance with a spotting scope. Other jobs stewards can get involved in are helping to post nesting areas, monitoring nests, assisting with shorebird surveys, and participating in beach cleanups.
If you are interested in helping, please contact Alan Knothe at 850-200-6279 or aknothe@audubon.org to request a volunteer application form or to find more out about the program.
