The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and UF/IFAS Extension – Florida Sea Grant have partnered to implement an innovative community-driven effort to restore scallop populations, and we need your help! “Scallop Sitter” volunteers are trained to assist in Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties. The goal of the program is to increase scallop populations in our local bays. Scallop sitters help reintroduce scallops into suitable areas from which they have disappeared.
Volunteers manage predator exclusion cages of scallops, which are either placed in the bay or by a dock. The cages provide a safe environment for the scallops to live and reproduce, and in turn repopulate the bays. Volunteers make monthly visits from June until December to their assigned cages where they clean scallops (algal and barnacles can attach), check mortality rate and collect salinity data that helps us determine restoration goals and success in targeted areas.
1. Click on the “reserve a spot” to select the county you are participating in.*You must provide your name, contact information and date of birth to secure an FWC permit for your cage!
2. You will be sent a registration survey via email (closer to the scallops, cage & supply pickup date or you may fill out a survey onsite) , view the virtual training link: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/mollusc/bay-scallops/sign-up/
and you’ll receive an invite to our Panhandle Scallop Sitter Facebook Group.
DEADLINE for steps 1 & 2 are May 25th!
3. Pick up your scallops, cage & supplies!
Pickup Information (all times local)
St. George Sound Volunteers
Date: Thursday, June 1st
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: FSU Coastal & Marine Lab (across the canal – see road signage)
3618 US-98, St. Teresa, FL 32358
St. Joseph Bay Volunteers
Date: Thursday, June 8th
Time: 10:00 – 1:00 PM
Location: St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve Lodge
3915 State Road 30-A, Port St. Joe, FL 32456
St. Andrew Bay Volunteers
Date: Thursday, June 16th
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
*We know issues happen from time to time with scallop populations. It’s a bummer. If you loose a significant amount of scallops early in this year’s program, we will do our best to accommodate our volunteers with a “second wave” scallop stocking event in August. Also, looking for other ways to help our program? We plan to offer cage building workshops in the fall, stay tuned!
This sounds similar to the idea that has been discussed about protecting some species of sharks. Do we really want to do this?
It reminds me of an interesting situation that was created when they passed the Marine Mammal Act in 1972. The law seemed simple enough. Citizens wanted to protect our marine mammals – such as whales, dolphins, and manatees. But it also included the polar bear, a dangerous animal. If you lived in a community where polar bears existed, and had one enter town that could possibly be a threat to the citizens, could you shoot it? A colleague of mine had a brother who worked with Alaska Fish and Game. We asked this question. He told us that – yes, if you were threatened by one you would shoot it. But you would have to defend yourself in court that it was defense and that you were not actively hunting the bear.
It seems odd to some that we would even consider protecting a creature that is potentially lethal to humans. But, as has been said so many times before, though they are potentially lethal, they rarely are. Rattlesnakes are different from polar bears in they do not seek us out when they are near us. They actually try to avoid us. In the United States only 5-6 people die each year from venomous snakes bites1. Comparing this to the number who die in car accidents, gun violence, or opioid overdose, there is no comparison. So, though the potential is there it is a very low risk. We can also note that many who bitten by snakes were trying to catch or kill the animal.
On the other side of the coin, these animals do us a service by controlling disease caring rodents. When predators select and kill prey, they tend to select one that is easy to catch and kill. Most predators not only have teeth, but hands and claws to grab the prey. The only thing a snake can do when it sees a rodent is grab it with its mouth and hold on. Many snakes do this, almost 90% of those in Florida do. But a few have venom. This can be injected into the prey so that the snake does not have to hold on, making the process much easier. It makes sense for snakes to have venom and is surprising that more do not. However, this venom was meant for killing prey, not for defending against predators. And rattlesnakes, like other venomous snakes, do not want to use it on humans if they can avoid it. As my professor told us in college venom is “expensive”. It is a complex cocktail of proteins they must produce, and they do not want to waste it.
So, though it seems strange that a state or federal agency would even consider protecting dangerous animals, they do. These creatures play a vital role in the ecology of local systems and if their numbers decline that role is not filled and the spin-off results could have larger negative impacts on us.
The U.S. Fish Wildlife Service has been petitioned to list the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus). This animal inhabits several habitats within the coastal southeastern United States. The National Council of Air & Stream Improvement, Inc. – a scientific research organization that provides technical information on environmental issues concerning forestry and forestry products – is conducting a survey to better understand its distribution and habitat preferences. They are asking people to report sightings of this snake. You can do so by visiting the following link. Please take photos.
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is a classic serpent found in xeric habitats like barrier islands and deserts. They can be found in all habitats on barrier islands.
Photo: Bob Pitts
The word “jellyfish” tends to initiate a similar response in most people – “scream”, “run”, “this is going to hurt”. Being stung by a jellyfish is not pleasant and is something most would prefer to avoid. Our beaches warn us when they are out by flying a purple flag.
When exploring the seagrasses, this is not the first animal people thing they will encounter. Few associate jellyfish with the seagrass community. But within any community there are those we call residents (they reside here) and those we call transients (just passing through). It is the second group that we can place most jellyfish, at least the ones we are concerned about.
The sea nettle.
Photo: University of California at Berkley.
Jellyfish are animals, but not your typical ones. They are obviously invertebrates but differ from most others by having radial symmetry (having a distinct top and bottom, but no head nor tail). They possess ectoderm and endoderm (so, they have a skin layer and some internal organs) but they lack the mesoderm that generates systems such as the skeletal, circulatory, and endocrine. Though they do not have a brain, they do have a simple nervous system made up of basic neurons and some packets of nerve cells called ganglia. They seem to know when they are not in the upright position and know when they have stung something – which initiates the feeding behavior. But they are pretty basic creatures.
When you view a jellyfish the first thing you see is the “bell” and the tentacles – we always see the tentacles. The bell is usually round (radial), could be bell-shaped, or could be flat. It is made of a flexible plastic-like jelly material called mesoglea. Most of the mesoglea is actually water. When you place most jellyfish on the dock and come back in a few hours there may be nothing but a “stain” of where it was. It completely evaporated. There are some exceptions to this, like the moon jelly and the cannonball jelly, who leave thick masses of mesoglea for long periods of time.
Image: Wikipedia.
If you look closer at the “bell” you will see shapes within the mesoglea. Some are stripes, and may have color to them, others look like a clover leaf. These are the gonads of the animal. Jellyfish are hermaphroditic (the gonads can produce both sperm and egg), and they reproduce by releasing their gametes into the water column when triggered by some environmental clue to do so.
Around the edge of the “bell” many have a thin piece of tissue called the velum that can undulate back and forth and allow the jellyfish to swim. Swimming can involve moving up or down in the water column, or turning around, but the swimming action is not very strong and the tide and current actually plays a larger role in where the animals go – like pushing them through a seagrass bed.
Under the “bell” is a single opening, the mouth, that leads into a simple gut (the gastrovascular cavity). This serves as the stomach of the creature. But there is no anus, when the jellyfish has digested its food, the waste is expelled through the same opening – the mouth. This is called an incomplete digestive system.
Jellyfish are predators and hunt small creatures such as baitfish. Though they know whether they are upside down or not, and may be able to detect light, most have no true eyes and cannot see their prey. Some species may be able to detect scent in the water and undulate their velum to try and move towards potential food, but most drift in the water and hope the tide carries them to dinner. To kill their prey, they extend tentacles into the water. These tentacles are armed with stinging cells known as nematocysts. Each nematocyst holds a coiled harpoon with a drop of venom at the tip. They are encased in a cell membrane and are triggered when an object, hopefully food, bumps an external trigger hair that will fire the harpoon. This will then trigger the release of many nematocysts and the potential prey will be “stung” by many drops of venom. The venom can either kill or paralyze the prey at which time the tentacles bring it to the mouth. Many jellyfish have venom that is painful to humans, like the sea nettle and moon jelly, others have a mild venom that we do not even notice. Some have a very strong venom and can be quite painful, like the Portuguese man-of-war which has put some in the hospital. The famous box jelly of Australia has actually killed humans. We do have box jellies in the Gulf of Mexico, but they are not the same species.
This box jellyfish was found near NAS Pensacola in November of 2015.
Photo: Brad Peterman
As the tide pushes these transients through the seagrass meadows, their tentacles are extended and small baitfish like juvenile pinfish, croakers, and snapper become prey. But there are resident jellyfish as well.
With the Phylum Cnidaria (the stinging jellyfish) there are three classes. Class Scyphozoa includes the bell-like jellyfish that drift in the water column with extended tentacles – what are referred to as medusa jellyfish. But there are two other classes that include benthic (bottom dwelling) jellyfish called polyps.
Polyp jellyfish resemble flowers. The “bell” part is a stalk that is stuck to a rock, pier, or seagrass blade. Their tentacles extend upwards into the water column giving the creature the look of a flower. Instead of drifting and dragging their tentacles, they hope to attract prey by looking like a hiding place or other habitat. The sea anemone is a famous one, and a good example of the polyp form. But it also includes corals and small polyps known as Hydra. Hydra are tiny polyps that are usually colorless and can easily attach to a blade of turtle grass. Here they extend their tentacles into the water column trying to paralyze small invertebrates that are swimming by or grazing on the epiphytes found on the grass blades.
The polyp known as Hydra.
Photo: Harvard University.
Another jellyfish that drifts in the current is Beroe, what some call the “football jellyfish” or “sea walnut”. This a relatively small blob of jelly that lacks tentacles but rather has eight rows of cilia/hair (ctenes) along its side that move quickly and move this animal through the water. But like their medusa cousins, not against the tide or current. These jellyfish do not sting, they lack nematocysts, and hence are in a different phylum known as Ctenophora. Kids often find and play with them when they are present, and they are luminescent at night. These stingless jellyfish feed on small plankton and each other and are another transient in the seagrass community.
The non stinging comb jelly.
Florida Sea Grant
There are certainly species of jellyfish to be aware of and avoid. But as you look deeper into this group there are harmless and fascinating members as well. Most of these Hydra are very small and hard to see while snorkeling, but they are there. Another creature to try and find while you are exploring and play “seagrass species bingo”. Have fun and stay safe.
Many who visit a seagrass bed for fishing or snorkeling, see many forms of marine life while there. There are numerous small silver fish darting in and out of the grass, an occasional stingray half buried in the sand waiting to ambush prey, and sometimes a horseshoe crab crawling along looking for a meal. One seagrass community creature they are not aware of, even if they are in front of them, are the sponges.
Those who are not familiar with the creature we call the sponge may think of the synthetic ones purchased at grocery stores and made in a factory somewhere. They are usually colored to match your kitchen or bathroom. Those who are familiar with them associate them more with reefs. Some reef sponges can become quite large and often they are quite numerous out there. But they do not register as a member of the seagrass community with most people. But they are out there.
A vase sponge.
Florida Sea Grant
From a taxonomic point of view sponges are interesting. What is a sponge?
Is plant? animal? fungi?
Well, to classify it using the characteristics of each, we can rule out plants. Plants have cell walls and organelles within some cells to conduct photosynthesis. This is not the case for sponges.
We can also rule out fungi. Though fungi do not photosynthesize, they do have cell walls, and sponges do not.
This leaves animals. Yep… they are animals.
Once you classify it as an animal the next step is to declare it either a vertebrate or invertebrate. Based on the definition of each, this would be an invertebrate – there is no backbone.
Invertebrates can be further broken down based on their symmetry and which germ layers they possess in the early stages of development – the larval stages.
Most invertebrates are categorized as either having radial or bilateral symmetry. Radial invertebrates have a top and bottom (dorsal and ventral) side, but no head or tail (anterior, posterior). Bilateral invertebrates will have all four. For some sponges, you can find radial symmetry, for others there is no symmetry at all – those would be asymmetrical.
Bilateral creatures have a distinct “head” end (anterior) and a “tail” end (posterior).
With germ layers you can have ectoderm (the outside cell layer), endoderm (the inside), and mesoderm (the middle layer). Each germ layer develops different structures as the larva grows. If the creature is does not have a specific germ layer, they will not develop those specific structures. Sponges have no germ layers. They do not have true skin, no internal organs, no circulatory, musculature, or nervous system. That is a sponge… the simplest form of animal life on the planet.
The three germ layers of animal development.
When you look at a sponge you do see structure. There are different forms (species) of them and they can be distinguished from each other and named – like “vase sponge”, or “barrel sponge”. But when you look inside of them many have a lot of tissue with canals and channels running all through them. Like what an ant colony would look like underground.
A closer look shows that the exterior wall is very porous (giving them their phylum name Porifera). The water enters these pores and moves all through the massive highways of channels running through the creature. Eventually the water exits the sponge at the top through large pores (or one large pore) called the osculum. The currents that drive this water movement are generated by the flagella of small cells called choanocytes (collar cells). They line the channels by the thousands. Rotating their flagella, they create water movement the way a rotating fan causes air movement. The movement is from the environment into the sponge. Here they collect food from the water (small microscopic creatures and other forms of organic debris), and oxygen.
The anatomy of a sponge.
Flickr
There are other cells within the lining of the channels called amoebocytes who assist with reproduction. They can encase genetic material (cells) within a hard matrix called a gemmule and “toss it” into the currents where it will exit through the osculum, drift in the ocean currents, and form a new sponge elsewhere. Being simple creatures, they can certainly reproduce asexual by simple cell division. Fragments of sponge will also generate new sponges.
The skeleton that holds these cells into the form we see is a series of hard structures called spicules. Spicules come in different shapes and under the microscope appear to look like thorns, are the “jacks” of a common game played by baby-boomers when they were kids. Some are solid, others a little more flexible, and the material used to make these spicules are used to divide sponges into different classes.
Sponge spicules.
Image: NOAA
Spicules made from calcium carbonate are hard and scratchy, they are in the Class Calcarea. These are often sold as “luffa’s”. Those made of the more flexible-spongin are in the Class Demospongia and is the largest class of sponges. These are often sold as “bath sponges” and are softer. And then there is the Class Hexactinellida – the “glass sponges”. Their spicules are made of clear silica and they look like they are made of glass. They are more common in the deeper part of the ocean and are beautiful.
Glass sponges are beautiful.
Photo: NOAA
In the seagrass beds of the panhandle, you will find sponges from the “bath sponge” group. One common one sold at the Gulf Specimens Lab in Panacea is called “Green Finger Sponge”. As you move through the grasses you will encounter these anchored near the base of the grass. They are usually dark in color, often a dark green almost black, and when opened appear yellow or orange on the inside.
They are full of creatures. Sponge channels provide excellent hiding places for the small creatures who graze on the epiphytes found on the grass blades. All sorts of small crustaceans and worms can be found here. It is like a microhabitat within the grassbed system itself.
Green finger sponge common in panhandle grassbeds.
Photo: Gulf Specimens Lab
The relationship between sponge and grass is complicated. Sponges filter the water, improving water clarity which seagrasses need. However, seagrasses are excellent at trapping and holding sediment, which also improves water clarity but these same sediments can plug the pores of sponges which they need to feed. It is sort of a love/hate relationship between them.
The purpose of this series is to educate you on some of the members of the seagrass community. Sponges are one such creature and most people do not notice them. But they are interesting creatures if you take a look.
At their December 2021 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed two rulings designed to enhance the conservation of diamondback terrapins, a small estuarine turtle.
As of March 1, 2022, no one can possess a diamondback terrapin without an FWC permit.
As of March 1, 2023, all recreational crab traps in Florida must have a 6×2” funnel opening, or a By-Catch Reduction Device to make the funnel opening 6×2”.
This article discusses the recreational crab trap ruling. We will discuss the What, Why, How, When, and Where of this ruling.
What…
The new ruling calls for all recreational crab traps in Florida waters to have a 6×2 inch funnel opening, or a By-Catch Reduction Device that creates a funnel opening of 6×2 inches, by March 1, 2023.
Why…
Diamondback terrapins are a species of special concern in the state. The diversity of sub-species is high, highest of any other state, but abundance is low. Research has shown that threats to terrapin populations include, loss of habitat and nesting beaches, nest depredation by wildlife, removal for the pet trade, and incidental drowning in crab traps. To help conserve this animal in our state the two rulings mentioned above were passed in 2021.
How…
By-catch Reduction Devices (BRDs) measuring 6×2” can be obtained from your local Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent. If you do not have a Sea Grant Extension Agent in your county extension office, they will direct you to the closest one. You will need to place the BRD on each of the funnel openings of your crab trap using zip ties. Your local Sea Grant Agent can show how to do this.
When…
All recreational crab traps used in Florida waters should have the 6×2 inch (or BRD in place) by March 1, 2023.
Where…
This is for Florida waters only.
If you have further questions concerning this ruling, please contact your local Sea Grant Agent at your local county extension office.
This orange plastic rectangle is a Bycatch Reduction Device (BRD) used to keep terrapins out of crab traps – but not crabs.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
No one species has altered the land, sea, and sky – as well as decreased the overall biodiversity of the planet in such as short time as has Homo sapien. Since we have arrived on this planet we have slowly dispersed across all continents, oceans, and even the polar regions. In our wake we have changed the landscape. Altering forests and changing waterways. We have built communities and cities and, in recent years, increased the amount of waste we produce to impact the land, water, and even change the climate. Our planet has encountered major changes in climate and habitats before – but not at the rate it is currently happening, and many are not able to adapt fast enough. Wildlife over much of the planet has declined due to our activities – and barrier islands are not an exception.
Humans have found our barrier islands. Photo credit: Lydia Weaver
Humans first arrived in the Florida panhandle a little over 10,000 years ago. Most of them built communities along our riverways and deltas. As with much of coastal wildlife, barrier islands were difficult places to inhabit. There is little freshwater, selected game to hunt (though an abundance of seafood – which they did seek), intense heat in the summer and cold in the winter, and tropical storms – where there were few places to hide. It appears humans did visit the islands but did not settle there. The early European colonists tried, but unsuccessfully – they had to moved inland.
In the Pensacola Bay area, the first settlements that were successful were fortifications placed there by the U.S. Army to protect the communities where people lived. These were brick fortifications that held up well against the storms, all built with large cisterns to collect freshwater for the troops stationed there. Soldiers accessed them using ferries.
In the early 20th century locals from Pensacola built a casino at what is now Pensacola Beach. There were casinos, boxing, and food vendors for those who made the day trip by ferry to visit the location.
The famous “beach ball” of Pensacola Beach marks the spot where the old casino once stood.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
Much of this early human activity had little impact on the island wildlife. Humans were concentrated in specific locations and did not / could not venture very far from them. But when automobiles became more commonplace with people, bridges soon followed, and things did begin to change. More cars meant more people, and the need for roads. These roads bisected the dune system and altered how they naturally progressed with wind and waves. Not only did dune dynamics change but dunes began to disappear with the new homes and hotels that were built.
A coyote navigates the roads that are now on our islands.
Photo provided by Shelley Johnson.
Homes, cars, and roads made life for several island creatures tough. Most of the shorebirds using the islands as nesting areas lay their nests on the sand. The white/speckled eggs blend in well with the white sand and the warm sand helped incubate them. There were fewer predators on these beaches and so, protection of the chicks was achieved more by driving off any potential threat by “dive bombing” them. This did not work with humans, nor their cars. The roads became hazards for them, and small chicks were often hit by cars. Today some species are threatened and have been given federal protection.
A variety of shorebirds utilize the sand as a nesting area.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
In recent years beaches houses have become true homes, with lawns and gardens. This alters the natural landscape even more. Along with the altering of the dune systems, this impacted many dune creatures like the beach mice. The species on Perdido Key is now considered endangered, and also has federal protection.
Additional housing, development, and roads led to additional needs in lighting in the evening. Many barrier island creatures need “dark skies,” but notably are the nesting sea turtles. In recent years 50-60% of sea turtle nests on our islands have had adults and hatchlings “disorient” towards the artificial lighting instead of the moon/star light that reflects off of the Gulf. This, along with other human related impacts like structures left in the sand at night, have caused a decline in these turtles and they too are now federal protected.
Turtle friendly lighting.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
You could not mention impacts by the human presence without mentioning solid waste – marine debris. Modern humans produce a wide variety of plastic products which we bring to the beach, and some of it ends up in the environment. Sea turtles, shore birds, and even manatees have been found either entangled in it or having ingested it. Much of this marine debris is problematic for the wildlife there.
Boxes providing garbage bags and disposal.
Photo: Pensacola Beach Advocates
Recently there has been an increased issue of pet cats that are allowed to roam the island at night. These pets (some strays) are known for the impact they can have on small wildlife like birds.
We were lucky in Escambia County during the 1970s to have the National Park purchase about 50% of the island as a National Seashore. This has provided a space for the island creatures and a great nature/cultural tourism destination.
Much of the west end of Santa Rosa Island has remained natural due to the presence of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
No one moves to the beach with the intent of harming wildlife, but our sense of changing things when we arrive – which we have been doing for some time – does impact them. The answer to this problem is to learn how to live, and develop, with the wildlife on the islands. The islands play a crucial role in protecting the mainland from storms and providing habitat for several unique species. Many of these species are beneficial to our lives by playing an ecological role in maintaining the island. It can be done.
I hope you have learned something new in this nine-part series on barrier island wildlife. If you have, please let me know by emailing roc1@ufl.edu. I hope you get a chance to explore our islands and maybe see some of these neat creatures.
