by Rick O'Connor | Sep 15, 2025
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), some suggested the decline was connected to the decline of seagrass beds in this part of the bay. Decline in water quality and overharvesting by humans may have also been a contributor. It was most likely a combination of these factors.
Scalloping is a popular activity in our state. It can be done with a simple mask and snorkel, in relatively shallow water, and is very family friendly. The decline witnessed in the lower Pensacola Bay system was witnessed in other estuaries along Florida’s Gulf coast. Today commercial harvest is banned, and recreational harvest is restricted to specific months and to the Big Bend region of the state. With the improvements in water quality and natural seagrass restoration, it is hoped that the bay scallop may return to lower Pensacola Bay.
Scallop harvest area.
Image: Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Since 2015 Florida Sea Grant has held the annual Pensacola Bay Scallop Search. Trained volunteers survey pre-determined grids within Big Lagoon and Santa Rosa Sound. Below is the report for both the 2025 survey and the overall results since 2015.
Methods
Scallop searchers are volunteers trained by Florida Sea Grant. Teams are made up of at least three members. Two snorkel while one is the data recorder. More than three can be on a team. Some pre-determined grids require a boat to access, others can be reached by paddle craft or on foot.
Once on site the volunteers extend a 50-meter transect line that is weighted on each end. Also attached is a white buoy to mark the end of the line. The two snorkelers survey the length of the transect, one on each side, using a 1-meter PVC pipe to determine where the area of the transect ends. This transect thus covers 100m2. The surveyors record the number of live scallops they find within this area, measure the height of the first five found in millimeters using a small caliper, which species of seagrass are within the transect, the percent coverage of the seagrass, whether macroalgae are present or not, and any other notes of interest – such as the presence of scallop shells or scallop predators (such as conchs and blue crabs). Three more transects are conducted within the grid before returning.
The Pensacola Scallop Search occurs during the month of July.
Snorkel transect method.
Image: University of Florida.
2025 Results
138 volunteers on 32 teams surveyed 22 of the 66 1-nautical mile grids (36%) between Big Lagoon State Park and Navarre Beach. 162 transects (16,200m2) were surveyed logging 8 scallops. All live scallops were reported from Santa Rosa Sound this year.
2025 Big Lagoon Results
13 teams surveyed 9 of the 11 grids (81%) within Big Lagoon. 76 transects were conducted covering 7,600m2.
No scallops were logged in 2025 though scallop shells were found. No sea urchins were reported but scallop predators – such as conchs, blue crabs, and rays were. This equates to 0.00 scallops/200m2 and moves Big Lagoon from a vulnerable system last year to a collapsed one this year. All three species of seagrass were found (Thalassia, Halodule, and Syringodium). Seagrass densities ranged from 50-100%. Macroalgae was present in 5 of the 9 grids (56%) and was reported abundant in grid 2.
2025 Santa Rosa Sound Results
19 teams surveyed 13 of the 55 grids (23%) in Santa Rosa Sound. 86 transects were conducted, covering 8,600m2.
8 scallops were logged which equates to 0.19 scallops/200m2. Scallop searchers reported blue crabs, conchs, and rays. All three species of seagrass were found. Seagrass densities ranged from 5-100%. Macroalgae was present in 7 of the 13 grids (54%) and was reported as abundant in 4 of those.
2015 – 2025 Big Lagoon Results
| Year |
No. of Transects |
No. of Scallops |
Scallops/200m2 |
| 2015 |
33 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2016 |
47 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2017 |
16 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2018 |
28 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2019 |
17 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2020 |
16 |
1 |
0.12 |
| 2021 |
18 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2022 |
38 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2023 |
43 |
2 |
0.09 |
| 2024 |
67 |
101 |
3.02 |
| 2025 |
76 |
0 |
0.00 |
| Big Lagoon Overall |
399 |
104 |
0.52 |
2015 – 2025 Santa Rosa Sound Results
| Year |
No. of Transects |
No. of Scallops |
Scallops/200m2 |
| 2015 |
01 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2016 |
01 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2017 |
01 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2018 |
01 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2019 |
01 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2020 |
01 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2021 |
20 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2022 |
40 |
2 |
0.11 |
| 2023 |
28 |
2 |
0.14 |
| 2024 |
85 |
32 |
0.76 |
| 2025 |
86 |
8 |
0.19 |
| Santa Rosa Sound Overall |
2591 |
44 |
0.34 |
1 Transects were conducted during these years but data for Santa Rosa Sound was logged by an intern with the Santa Rosa County Extension Office and is currently unavailable.
Discussion
Based on a Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute publication in 2018, the final criteria are used to classify scallop populations in Florida.
| Scallop Population / 200m2 |
Classification |
| 0-2 |
Collapsed |
| 2-20 |
Vulnerable |
| 20-200 |
Stable |
Based on this, over the last nine years we have surveyed, the populations in lower Pensacola Bay are still collapsed. Big Lagoon reached the vulnerable level in 2024, but no scallops were found there in 2025, returning to a collapsed state.
There are some possible explanations for low numbers in 2025.
- It has been reported by some shellfish biologists that bay scallops have a “boom-bust” cycle. Meaning that one year their populations “boom” before returning to normal numbers. We could have witnessed this between 2024 and 2025.
- Though we did not monitor water temperatures, July 2025 was extremely hot, and many volunteers reported their sites felt like “bath water”. Collecting efforts on other projects during July reported not capturing anything – no pinfish, hermit crabs – their nets were empty. It is possible that these warm conditions could have caused many organisms to move to deeper/cooler depths. Note here; as the project moved into August temperatures did begin to cool and searchers began reporting fish, conchs, blue crabs, and rays.
The Pensacola Bay area continues to have a collapsed system. The larger populations found in 2024 suggest that there are scallops in the area but may not be enough to increase their population status from collapsed to vulnerable. We will continue to monitor each July.
It is important for locals NOT to harvest scallops from either body of water. First, it is illegal. Second, any chance of recovering this lost population will be lost if the adult population densities are not high enough for reproductive success.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank ALL 138 volunteers who surveyed this year. We obviously could not have done this without you.
Below are the “team captains”.
Ethan Sadowski John Imhof Kaden Luttermoser
John Wooten Susan Pinard Matt MacGregor
Christian Wagley Sean Hickey Jason Buck
Brian Mitchell Angela Guttman Caitlen Murrell
Samantha Brady (USM) Michelle Noa Kira Benton
Monica Hines Wesley Allen Kelly Krueger
Mikala Drees Jonathan Borowski Michael Currey
Gina Hertz Melinda Thoms Beau Vignes
Bill Garner Robert Moreland Stephanie Kissoon
Nick Roest Leah Yelverton
A team of scallop searchers celebrates after finding a few scallops in Pensacola Bay.
Volunteer measures a scallop he found.
Photo: Abby Nonnenmacher
by Laura Tiu | Aug 17, 2025
A blue bowl filled with bay scallop linguini in a white wine garlic sauce.
I love harvesting and eating local Bay scallops. Port St. Joe Bay is the scalloping area closest to Walton County. These tasty mollusks live in sea grass beds in shallow water. This makes them easy to find simply snorkeling, on a paddle board, kayak or from a boat.
Scallops used to be plentiful in all our Bays, including the Choctawhatchee Bay. These shellfish, however, are sensitive to environmental changes and due to their relatively short lifespan, are susceptible to periodic collapses. To enjoy recreational scalloping for years to come, it is important that safety and conservation stay top of mind. Following the best practices below will ensure the bay scallop fishery is protected for future generations to enjoy.
- Throw back small scallops. Recreational harvest occurs before scallops are given the chance to reproduce. Smaller ones are younger than older and have a higher chance of living to reproduce in the fall and possibly again in the winter. In Florida, scallops typically live for about 18 months. While it is not legally required, throwing back small scallops (those less than 2 inches) is a great way to do your part to protect the fishery. Also, small scallops have smaller muscle meat so it might not even be worth your while to shuck the small ones.
- Keep only what you will eat. While “limiting out” might seem like an obvious goal, don’t forget that someone will have to shuck all those scallops! One pint of scallop meat (the typical daily limit for one person) is roughly four servings of scallops. Rather than setting a goal of catching your limit, consider setting a more conservative goal based on how much meat you will eat. Scallop meat only keeps in the fridge for 1 day or about 3 months frozen. Plan accordingly!
- Never double dip. Locals and law enforcement officers in the bay scallop harvest areas often report “double dipping”, or scallopers going out for a second trip after landing one limit. Without question, this is illegal. But is is also highly unethical and shows disrespect for the fishery and the people with livelihoods that depend on bay scallops.
- Protect seagrass when boating. Be aware of seagrasses while boating in shallow areas! Many species, including bay scallops, depend on seagrasses. Damage from propellers and boat anchors (called seagrass scarring) reduces habitat quality and resilience of seagrasses over the long-term. Please visit the Be Seagrass Safe website for more information
- Discard shells responsibly. Shells and soft tissues should be disposed of in open Gulf of Mexico waters with moderate to strong currents that are not channels, canals, marinas, springs, or boat ramps. Shells and soft tissues can cause problems for water quality and boating when dumped in high traffic areas close to shore. Shells disposed of in shallow swimming areas, such as springs or sandbars, pose a serious hazard to swimmers. If you clean your catch on shore, dispose of shells/soft tissues in the trash or clean and re-use for crafts or landscaping around the house.
Scalloping
by Carrie Stevenson | Jul 7, 2025
This tree was downed during Hurricane Michael, which made a late-season (October) landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
There are plenty of jokes about the four seasons in Florida—in place of spring, summer, fall, and winter; we have tourist, mosquito, hurricane, and football seasons. The weather and change in seasons are definitely different in a mostly-subtropical state, although we in north Florida do get our share of cold weather (remember that snow this year?!).
A disaster supply kit contains everything your family might need to survive without power and water for several days. Photo credit: Weather Underground
All jokes aside, hurricane season is a real issue in our state. With the official season having recently begun (June 1) and running through November 30, hurricanes in the Gulf-Atlantic region are a legitimate concern for fully half the calendar year. According to records kept since the 1850’s, Florida has been hit with more than 120 hurricanes, double that of the closest high-frequency target, Texas. Hurricanes can affect areas more than 50 miles inland, meaning there is essentially no place to hide in our long, skinny, peninsular state.
Flooding and storm surge are the most dangerous aspects of a hurricane. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
I point all these things out not to cause anxiety, but to remind readers (and especially new Florida residents) that is it imperative to be prepared for hurricane season. Just like picking up pens, notebooks, and new clothes at the start of the school year, it’s important to prepare for hurricane season by firing up (or purchasing) a generator, creating a disaster kit, and making an evacuation plan. We even have disaster preparedness sales tax exempt holidays in Florida; one in early June and another in the heart of the season, August 24-September 6.
Peak season for hurricanes is September. Particularly for those in the far western Panhandle, September 16 seems to be our target—Hurricane Ivan hit us on that date in 2004, and Sally made landfall exactly 16 years later, in 2020. But if the season starts in June, why is September so intense? By late August, the Gulf and Atlantic waters have been absorbing summer temperatures for 3 months. The water is as warm as it will be all year–in 2023 even reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit–as ambient air temperatures hit their peak. This warm water is hurricane fuel—it is a source of heat energy that generates power for the storm. Tropical storms will form early and late in the season, but the highest frequency (and often the strongest ones) are mid-August through late September.
Pay attention to local meteorologists on social media, news, and radio. This alert was posted just yesterday online by the Escambia County Emergency Management Coordinator.
If you have lived in a hurricane-prone area, you know you don’t want to be on the front right side of the storm. For example, here in Pensacola, if a storm lands in western Mobile or Gulf Shores, Alabama, the impact will nail us. Meteorologists divide hurricanes up into quadrants around the center eye. Because hurricanes spin counterclockwise but move forward, the right front quadrant will take the biggest hit from the storm. A community 20 miles away but on the opposite side of a hurricane may experience little to no damage.
The front right quadrant of a hurricane is the strongest portion of a storm. Photo credit: Weather Nation
Hurricanes bring with them high winds, heavy rains, and storm surge. Of all those concerns, storm surge is the deadliest, accounting for about half the deaths associated with hurricanes in the past 50 years. Many waterfront residents are taken by surprise at the rapid increase in water level due to surge and wait until too late to evacuate. Storm surge is caused by the pressure of the incoming hurricane building up and pushing the surrounding water inland. Storm surge for Hurricane Katrina was 30 feet above normal sea level, causing devastating floods throughout coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. Due to the dangerous nature of storm surge, NOAA and the National Weather Service have begun announcing storm surge warnings along with hurricane and tornado warnings.
For helpful information on tropical storms and protecting your family and home, look online here for the updated Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Disasters, or reach out to your local Extension office for a hard copy.
by Rick O'Connor | Jun 20, 2025
Snails and slugs belong to one of the largest phyla of animals on the planet – the mollusks. Mollusks are known for their calcium carbonate shells and seashell collecting along the shoreline has been a popular hobby for centuries. There are an estimated 50,000 to 200,000 species of mollusk worldwide. One group – the gastropods – have an estimated 40,000 to 100,000 species alone. This is the group that includes the snails and slugs.
Snails are soft-bodied creatures who produce a single, usually coiled, shell in which they live. The coiled shell has an opening called the aperture through which they can extend some, or most of their body. The elongated soft body “slugs” across the sea bottom searching for food which could be vegetation for some – like the small nerite snails found in our bays, or animals – like the venomous cone snails, or detritivores – like the periwinkle snails.
The Olive Nerite.
Photo: Wikipedia.
Many species of local snails produce egg cases in which they deposit their developing eggs. These are often found while people are beach combing. The most frequently encountered locally are the tube-shaped clusters of the oyster drill, the coin shaped chain of the lightning whelk, and the one that – to me – resembles the top of a vase or jar belonging to the moon snail.
The egg case of the Lightning Whelk.
Photo: Project Noah
The variety of snails found in the northern Gulf is immense – so, we will cover only a few of the more common.
Walking along the Gulf side, gazing down at the shells of snails washed ashore, one often finds the small ceriths. These tiny, elongated shells are small and look like a canine tooth. These are herbivores and detritivores.
Cerith
Photo: iNaturalist
The Florida Fighting Conch is often found – but not always in whole condition. This is a true conch and herbivorous.
Florida Fighting Conch
Photo: iNaturalist
One not as common while beachcombing, but more common while snorkeling is the olive snail. These are fast burrowing snails that feed on bivalves and carrion they may find. I often find trails crisscrossing the sandy bottom made by these snails just off the beach.
Olive snail
Photo: Flickr
Over on the bay side of the barrier islands you have a better chance of finding live snails. One of the more common in the salt marshes is the marsh periwinkle. This small roundish snail is often seen on the extended leaves of the marsh grasses. It is here during high tide to avoid predators such as blue crabs and diamondback terrapins. At low tide they will descend to the muddy bottom and feed on detritus.
The marsh periwinkle is one of the more common mollusk found in our salt marsh. Photo: Rick O’Connor
The crown conch is another frequently seen estuarine snail. With spines extending from the top whorl – it appears to have a crown, and where its common name comes from. These are predators of the bay feeding on other mollusks such as periwinkles and oysters.
The white spines along the whorl give this snail its common name – crown conch.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
The oyster drill shell is one of the more common shells you find hermit crabs in, but the snails are out there as well. As the name implies, they use a tooth like structure called a radula to bore into other mollusk shells to feed. They are particularly problematic for non-moving oysters – and where they got their common name from.
The shell of the oyster drill.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
The only slug I have encountered on our beaches is the sea hare. These slugs can be a greenish or brownish color and are about six inches in length. They lack an external shell but do not move much faster than their snail cousins. They feed on a variety of seaweeds and the color of their skin mimics the seaweeds they are feeding on. Lacking a shell, they produce a toxin in their skin to repel would be predators. They also release ink like the squid and octopus cousins.
A common sea slug found along panhandle beaches – the sea hare.
This narrative only scratches the surface of the world of snails and slugs in this part of the world. Creating a check list of species and then seeing if you can find them all is great fun.
References
The Mollusca. Sea Slugs, Squids, Snails, and Scallops. University of California at Berkley. https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/inverts/mollusca/mollusca.php#:~:text=Mollusca%20is%20one%20of%20the,scallops%2C%20oysters%2C%20and%20chitons..
Gastropods. University of Texas San Antonio. https://www.utsa.edu/fieldscience/gastropod_info.htm#:~:text=Gastropods%20are%20another%20type%20of,of%20the%20entire%20Mollusca%20phylum..
by Rick O'Connor | May 16, 2025
As far as familiarity goes – everyone knows about worms. As far as seeing them – these are rarely, if ever seen by visitors to the northern Gulf. Most know worms as creatures that live beneath the sand – out of sight and doing what worms do. We imagine – scanning the landscape of the Gulf – millions of worms buried beneath the sediment. For some this may be quite unnerving. Worms are sometimes “gross” and associated with an unhealthy situation. You might say to your kids “don’t dig in the sand – you might get worms”. Or even “don’t drink the water – you might get worms”. But the reality of it all is that there are many kinds of worms in the northern Gulf, and many are very beneficial to the system. We will look at a few.
The common earthworm.
Photo: University of Wisconsin Madison
Flatworms are the most primitive of the group. As the name implies, they are flat. There is a head end, often with small eyespots that can detect light, but the mouth is in the middle of the body and, like the jellyfish, is the only opening for eating and going to the restroom. There are numerous species of flatworms that crawl over the ocean floor feeding on decayed detritus, many are brightly colored to advertise the fact they are poisonous – or pretending to be poisonous. And then there are species that actually swim – undulating through the water in a pattern similar to what we do with our hand when we stick it out the window driving at high speed.
But there are parasitic flatworms as well. Worms such as the tapeworm and the flukes are more well known than the free-swimming flatworms just described. These are the worms people become concerned about when they hear “there are worms out there”. And yes – they do exist in the northern Gulf. But what some people may not realize is that these internal parasites are adapted for the internal environment of their selected host and cannot survive in other creatures. There are human tapeworms and flukes, but they are not found in the sands of the Gulf.
The human liver fluke. One of the trematode flatworms that are parasitic.
Photo: University of Pennsylvania
As the name implies, roundworms are round – but they differ from earthworms in that their bodies are smooth and not segmented as earthworms are. One group of roundworms is well known in the agriculture and horticulture world – nematodes. Some nematodes are also known for being human parasites – again, creating some concern. These include the hookworm and pinworm. Roundworms can be found in the sediments by the thousands – sometimes in the millions. The abundance of some species are used as an indicator of the health of the system – the more of these particular type of roundworms, the more unhealthy the system – again, a cause of concern for some when they see any worm in the sand.
The round body of a microscopic nematode.
Photo: University of Nebraska at Lincoln
We will end with the segmented worms – the annelids. This is the group in which the familiar earthworm belongs. Though earthworms do not exist in the northern Gulf, their cousins – the polychaetae worms – are very common. Polychaetas are much larger, easier to see, and differ from earthworms in that they have extended legs from each segment called parapodia. Some polychaetas produce tubes in which they live. They will extend their antenna out to collect food. Many of these tubeworms have their tubes beneath the sand and we only see them (rarely) when their tentacles are extended – or when they extend a gelatinous mass from their tubes to collect food. But there is a type of tubeworm – the sepurlid worms – that produce small skinny calcium carbonate tubes on the sides of rocks on rock jetties, pier pilings, and even marine debris left in the water. This is also the group that the leech belongs to. Though leeches are more associated with freshwater, there are marine leeches. These are rarely encountered and do not attach to humans as their freshwater cousins do.
Diopatra are segmented worms similar to earthworms who build tubes to live in. These tubes are often found washed up on the beach.
Though we may be “creeped-out” about the presence of worms in the northern Gulf of Mexico, they are none threatening to us and are an important member of the marine community cleaning decaying creatures and waste material from the environment. We know they are there, and glad they are there.
by Dana Stephens | May 12, 2025
Spring is a time of change. Spring brings changes in our waters as well. Some of these changes are visible on top of the water and cause concern among water users and viewers. Let’s dispel some of these concerns associated with the spring season.
Sometimes, water users and viewers notice what appears to be oil floating on top of the water. Could this be oil? Potentially. Could this not be oil? Most likely. Plants perish, and decomposition occurs, typically during the spring and fall seasons of the year. Much of the decomposition that happens in spring is associated with the initial growth and development of plants. Bacteria living in the soils within and around the water break down the perished plants. These bacteria are decomposing the old plant material. The waste product produced from the bacteria’s decomposition of the old plant material is an oily substance. The oily sheen on the water is a waste product of bacteria. Frequently, the oil accumulates in portions of water where there is little to no water movement. As the decomposition process completes, the oily sheen should lessen over the next few days to weeks. This bacteria-produced oil from decomposition is a natural process.
Petroleum-based oil seen on water is not a natural process. Petroleum-based oil could enter water from various sources, such as but not limited to transportation spills, stormwater runoff, and improper disposal of products containing oil. Like the oily substances produced by bacteria during decomposition, petroleum-based oils will float on top of the water and accumulate where there is little to no water movement.
Here are some tips to identify the difference between oils in water:
|
Bacteria-produced Oil |
Petroleum-based Oil |
| Appearance |
Oily sheen on top of water with little to no difference in color throughout |
Oily sheen on top of water with differences in color throughout (may even appear like a rainbow) |
| Touch
(use a stick) |
When disturbed, the sheen breaks away easily with irregular patterns and does not reform. The oil will not adhere to the stick. |
When disturbed, the sheen swirls, elongates, and does reform. The oil may adhere to the stick. |
| Odor
(not always present) |
Strong organic, musty, or earthy smell. |
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) smelling like gasoline or diesel fuel. |
Another sheen on our waters that is frequent during Florida’s springtime is pollen. Pine, tree, and weed pollen accumulate on top of water, especially in areas with little or no water movement. If the sheen on the water is yellow, orange, or sometimes white, this is most likely due to pollen. Think about how pollen shows on a car in Florida during spring…our waters can show the same to some extent.
Let’s give it a try! See if you can identify the sheens in water in each photo—answers at the bottom of the page.
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
Photo 6
Keep Scrolling For Answers!
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PHOTO ANSWERS: Photo 1: Bacteria-produced oil sheen. Photo 2: Pollen sheen. Photo 3: Petroleum-based oil sheen. Photo 4: Pollen sheen. Photo 5: Petroleum-based oil sheen. Photo 6: Mixture of bacteria-produced oil and pollen sheen. Note all photos were obtained from Adobe Stock Photos.
