In 2005 I was leading a field trip with high school students in a salt marsh on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola Beach. As we explored a brackish water creek, we came across a three-foot red mangrove tree, prop roots and all. To say we were surprised and excited would be an understatement.
Most know that mangroves are trees that can tolerate seawater and grow along estuarine shorelines across the tropics, including south Florida. They can form dense forests that support all sorts of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. They need calm protected waters to establish themselves but once established are excellent at protecting shoreline communities during hurricanes. However, they cannot tolerate cold weather, only surviving freezing temperatures for one or two nights.
The red mangrove. Photo: University of Florida
Growing up in Pensacola we would often find red mangrove propagules (seedlings) washed ashore arriving from the tropical parts of the Gulf. They were generally on the Gulf side of Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key but never germinated. If they were carried into the estuary, and found a protected lagoon to begin germination, they would not survive our winters. This is what made finding an established three-foot mangrove in a lagoon off Santa Rosa Sound in 2005 so surprising.
Mangrove propagule washed ashore. Photo: Rick O’Connor
Historically mangroves were not found north of Tampa Bay. However, in recent decades they have become established as far north as Cedar Key. Trying to determine whether the mangrove we found was the northern most in Florida I found that they were also expanding along the east coast of Florida as far north as St. Augustine, and there were records in the Jacksonville area. Many attribute this to climate change. Our winters are milder than they were when I was a kid, and this may be leading to what many are calling the “tropicalization of northern Gulf of Mexico”. Not only mangroves, but other historically south Florida species, such as snook and bonefish, have been reported along the panhandle.
In 2017 I was leading another high school group on a field trip in a salt marsh in Big Lagoon State Park. We found a germinated seedling of a red mangrove doing very well. We explored more and found seven others in the nearby area. How many more were growing in the Pensacola Bay area?
A small red mangrove growing in Big Lagoon near Pensacola FL Photo: Rick O’Connor
We partnered with a research team from Dauphin Island Sea Lab who was looking into this as well. The team included extension agents and specialists from Florida and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, as well as biologists from the National Estuarine Research Reserves in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida panhandle. Each county/region selected 10 transect sites that had the highest probability of mangroves to monitor each year. Mangroves appear to be established on some of the Mississippi barrier islands, as well as in St. Joe Bay. Individuals have been reported from Bay County. A ninth mangrove was found in Escambia County but a hard freeze in 2018 killed them all. Since then, one young multi-year red mangrove was found on NAS Pensacola. It died in the hard freeze of 2023. Despite the hard freezes, those established in St. Joe Bay seem to be holding on. I decided to make a visit and see.
A red mangrove growing at NAS Pensacola. Photo: Whitney Scheffel.
Black mangroves growing near St. George Island in Franklin County. Photo: Joshua Hodson
Wading out from the buffer preserve with Gulf County Sea Grant Agent Ray Bodrey, we found relatively large patches of mangroves, and seeds suggesting active expansion was ongoing. But I noticed the species we were seeing were black mangroves. I mentioned to Ray that what we had seen in Pensacola were red mangroves. He said that the red mangroves have a hard time here as well. Black mangroves are more tolerant of cold weather, and it is they who are establishing these large patches. There are reports of large patches of mangroves on the Mississippi barrier islands – and they are the black mangroves as well. I know that black mangroves have been established in the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana for decades. I am convinced that if black mangroves seeds were to reach protected lagoons in Pensacola Bay, they would probably do well here as well.
I continue to conduct our transects each year in the Pensacola Bay area. I have a couple of trained volunteers helping me but could always use more. If you think you have seen a mangrove growing in the Florida panhandle, we would love to know and document their location. We know they are established in Gulf County, so our focus is now Escambia to Bay counties. If you think you have seen one, contact me at roc1@ul.edu or your county Sea Grant Agent.
Pine tree saplings. Planting, growth. UF/IFAS Photo by Dawn McKinstry
It is Florida Arbor Day and all across the state people will be picking up trees and planting them for the future. It is also the time of year where large reforestation efforts are underway to get the next generation established. Planting trees is one of the most hopeful activities you can do. It takes a long time for a tiny forest seedling to become a titan of the forest. Similarly, a larger nursery grown tree planted in an urban setting takes a long time to get to the large shade tree that is envisioned. Whether in an urban or forest setting getting tree planting right is the difference between success and failure. Today we celebrate Florida Arbor Day, in large part because this is the best time of year to plant trees in our climate. Planting trees in the cold of winter means they can focus on growing and establishing a root system before the leaf and shoot growth they put on in spring. This is why states move their Arbor Day observance and the most southern and warm states like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas have the earliest celebrations.
So, what goes into planting a tree properly? Well, it is a lot more than green side up that is for sure. It takes lots of planning, care, and attention to detail. The specifics are very different when planting thousands of forest seedlings across a tract vs just a few large trees in a park. The basic principles are the same though and we will start with forest trees. For reforestation in forests the journey starts in specialized forest nurseries that produce the millions of trees needed to serve the forest industry of the area. Let’s take a deeper dive into getting tree planting right in this important time of year.
Tree Planting Tips in Forested Settings
Getting tree planting right in forest settings really starts with the tree species and seedlings used. If this is selected wrong, the seedling quality is low, and the seedlings are not handled correctly in shipment and the field; complete planting failures can occur. A failure is very costly as you not only have the cost for this year but the replanting cost the next, plus you lost a year of forest growth. Thankfully, it is very rare now since we know good planting protocols and follow them regularly. Forest seedling nurseries are extremely high tech operations and now provide the best seedlings in the world here in the U.S. The U.S. reforestation system is the envy of the world and the Southeast is the jewel in that crown routinely planting the highest amount of trees of any timber region globally. Entire research divisions at major universities plus state forest agency reforestation sections and the U.S. Forest Service Reforestation Division all work in concert to ensure our forests’ future. That is not to mention the massive private nurseries run by top flight companies that are experts in reforestation and forest management. Landowners and others planting trees now have the best access and reforestation material ever available in private hands, and companies provide the highest quality seedlings available in terms of seedling quality and improved tree genetics. By spending a bit more in reforestation a huge return can be generated when a stand is mature. Landowners can take advantage of this outstanding leap in reforestation technology, but old-fashioned due diligence and good planting technique is key to realize the outcome. First and foremost, the right tree species has to be matched with the right site and range of conditions where it will thrive. Off-site plantings that are not compatible with that species (such as loblolly pine on sandhills) may succeed from a survival standpoint only to fail long term (i.e. stunting and lack of volume development). Care of the seedlings during the planting operation is key to success and establishment though. Seedlings must be stored and cared for properly until planting is completed. Poor techniques will cause issues with root structure and growth and poor care and excessive storage times before planting will cause stress that can result in seedling death or loss of vigor that leads to loss of growth. Plant seedlings right though and you will have an excellent stand. Here are some tips to get tree planting right:
Work closely with a good consulting forester, forest nursery, and or reforestation service provider. Coordinate seedling delivery, storage, and planting well in advance of the operation.
Assess the weather conditions leading up to planting and do not be afraid to cancel if conditions are questionable.
Store seedlings in refrigerated trucks or a refrigerated storage facility (optimal) or tarped in an area that is out of the wind and elements.
Bareroot seedlings are the most sensitive and need to be planted as soon as possible and by skilled crews. Bareroot are prone to J-rooting and other issues if not planted with the correct equipment for the soil conditions and by highly trained and skilled crews. If machine planting ensure test runs are done to make sure the planting trench and packing system are working well and planting seedlings correctly.
Ensure the seedling type and planting conditions are communicated to the crew well ahead of arrival for logistical purposes. A Consulting Forester is invaluable here and results are usually better when a landowner uses a consultant that can coordinate. Issues like planting crews showing up with 4 inch container dibbles (the industry standard) when the landowner has ordered 6 inch containerized seedlings can be a disaster.
Conduct quality control and spacing checks throughout the planting operation to make sure seedlings are in good condition and being planted according to best practices and the planned reforestation operation. Communicate with the crew on changes needed. Crews want to do a good job and usually enjoy working together with the forester or landowner to get the best job done.
Urban Forests
Man walking a trail in Oak Hammock. UF/IFAS Photo: Thomas Wright.
We have passed the forest tree category and we move to the urban forest and what is really the art of individual tree management. Urban forests are very different from natural forests, but they are still forests and the management principles of forestry still apply. The primary difference is planting operations in natural settings involve thousands of trees and usually count on a certain amount of loss. Urban reforestation and tree planting can rely on just a few to several hundred trees depending on the scope. The main difference is urban operations use single large container trees that have been grown for several years in the nursery and will be planted in very specific locations. There is a significant focus on each tree and the investment per tree is huge by comparison. Given this it is highly desirable that each tree live and the expense and investment in each individual tree necessitates this. Urban forests also have ready access to things like irrigation, tailored fertilizer, and many other tree care options to improve establishment. Most Arbor Day activities focus on these urban planting operations and things like tree dedications. To get it right let’s look at what we need to do to get urban trees planted right in our urban forests.
Tree Planting Tips for Urban Areas
Urban trees have a rough life compared to their relatives in the natural forest. Natural forests do not have the myriad of issues that the urban forest does, but that does not mean trees can’t thrive in our urban ecosystem. Here in the Florida Panhandle, we have some of the largest and most densely covered urban forests in our city centers and metropolitan areas. In fact, our urban forest tree cover is some of the highest in the country. This is likely due in large part to our lush semi-tropical forest ecosystem that naturally thrive here. With good management our Urban Forest just sort of forms and towers over our urban landscape. Another factor supporting this is the local community commitment to tree planting and tree care. The vast majority of our incorporated communities are Tree City USA certified and many private HOA communities have HOA rules that require tree cover maintenance. These are good things for our tree cover and our communities are much more livable, enjoyable, and healthy due to our amazing urban forest. To maintain our urban forest though we need to plan tree planting and management, if for now other reason than to replace trees that die or are lost over time. As our area grows and develops new trees need to be planted in urban areas to replace ones lost as the natural forest was converted. Doing this right means more success, healthier trees, and better use of public funds through better survival. Here is what you need to know to plant a tree right in your urban setting.
Right Tree Right Place! Planning is key and far too many times it is overlooked. Urban forests have limited root and crown growing room. Planting a towering Southern Red Oak in an area with only space for 40% of this tree at maturity will not be a success. Yes, that tree is small and dainty now, but in our climate it will grow into a towering tree in no time. Similarly, trees that drop fruit (like Sweetgum) or create a bit of a mess (like Sycamore) may not fit well in an area. Perform a through assessment of the planting spot and determine what size and characteristics are needed. Then compare it with our outstanding variety of native trees and select the right one.
Thoroughly assess the planting site and determine any mitigations that are needed. Locate and determine all utilities, rights of way, and other issues. Remember that utilities have the right to trim any tree that comes into their right of way and that includes roots and branches. If the tree will interfere consider relocation or selecting a smaller tree. Sometimes a tree will tolerate the maintenance activities associated with a utility or right of way but sometimes it will not.
Determine the soil characteristics on site and perform a soil test. This is probably the most overlooked issue, and many people plant trees without any thought to the soil. Since trees are big and tough their site needs often get ignored. It is easy to forget trees have preferences in water depth, PH, density, and nutrient needs. Compaction is particularly a problem in urban settings and a soil test can detect it. If compaction is a problem, develop a plan to mitigate it prior to planting.
Determine if amendments are needed and/or beneficial and apply accordingly. For urban trees preparing a planting hole and root establishment zone is critical to success. Fortunately we have some of the best options and methods of doing this now that we ever have before. Biochar, soil mycorrhizae (beneficial fungi) inoculants, long term release tailored fertilizers, and multiple other options mean a planting hole can be so much more than a hole. Explore the options and select what time and budgets allow, the tree will certainly do much better with good amendments to establish a strong root system early.
Plant the tree properly and using good techniques. You can take a whole class on this and still have some more to gain on technique. It is a much more complex operation than it initially appears. It is more than just getting the tree in the ground straight and level. It starts from the minute the tree arrives from the grower to the maintenance over the establishment years. Common mistakes are too small/too large a hole, incorrect depth, improper backfill and setting, failure to mulch or improper mulching technique.
Arbor Day is a good reminder that trees are a valuable and important part of the world we inhabit. That is true in a pristine forest or under the favorite shade tree at your local golf course. Except for some of the shortest-lived trees most will certainly outlive us. The longest will outlive tens of generations of we humans. Let’s hope that the trees we plant this Arbor Day are successful in establishment and benefit many generations to come.
Fall color and leaf peeping is usually the last thing people think of on the Gulf Coast. Indeed, most people bemoan our lack of fall foliage and do not realize that if you know where to look beautiful fall vistas can still be seen. When the rest of the country has dropped leaves and past peak foliage our local scene is getting to the best show. Fall is a slow process here on the Gulf Coast and the area is the last to see the peak fall color. Here it is more like early winter color. The several weeks around Thanksgiving are some of the best times to see what our local deciduous hardwood trees have to offer. In a region dominated by pines and evergreen hardwoods the shows are few and far between. While our local forests don’t put on the spectacular shows that the Appalachian and Northeast hardwood forests do, it doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to offer. If you are looking for a local show you will need to know where to find areas with trees that turn the orange, gold, and red you hope to see.
Trees with leaves that change colors are called deciduous, meaning that they drop their leaves each year during winter dormancy. Only these deciduous trees put on a show in the fall and early winter, and not all of these are hardwoods. While rare some conifers are deciduous as well, and our local bald and pond cypress are conifers that are deciduous. Conversely, we have evergreen and semi-evergreen hardwoods here like live oak, southern magnolia, and laurel oak. Evergreen versus deciduous is actually a tree’s way of adapting to climate characteristics. Evergreen trees photosynthesize year-round while deciduous trees store energy and shut down through the winter by shedding their leaves. It is this shutdown of photosynthesis and chlorophyll in the leaves that produces fall color and leaf drop. Chlorophyll is the compound in leaves responsible for photosynthesis and for the green color we see most of the year. When deciduous trees go dormant the chlorophyll is pulled out of the leaves as the trees prepare for winter dormancy. But Chlorophyll is not the only compound in leaves, and the other compounds that are left behind produce the color we see each fall. Carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, produce the oranges; while anthocyanins produce reds and flavonoids produce yellows. The amount of these compounds in a leaf result in the colors we see. The change is triggered by environmental signals, particularly temperature. Temperatures need to dip at least into the 50 degree range regularly before changes occur. Given our variable weather pattern here on the gulf coast that means it is hard to predict the exact date when leave color will start and peak. It also means trees change slowly and often do not produce the drastic change seen to the north. The good side of this is we get to enjoy fall color much longer into early winter. This is the last region of the country where you can observe the annual leaf color show.
To enjoy leaf color, you need to know where to look here and what to look for. The best areas are river basins and wetlands as those areas have the largest concentration of deciduous trees. Swamps of cypress and mixed hardwoods can put on quite a show. Bottomland hardwood forests in river floodplains usually have the best show and turn early. Uplands are not out of the question either, while they typically are dominated by mostly pines in our region scattered oak, sweet gum, and hickory give splashes of color. On sandhills turkey oak can turn a deep red and usually is one of the later trees to turn. As the upland grasses go dormant for the winter, they can also provide a splash of landscape color. If you know where to look some of our parks and natural areas across the Panhandle provide excellent spots to see leaf color.
The Apalachicola Basin provides some of the best scenic vistas available where foliage color turns. The bottomland and mixed pine hardwood forests of the bluff lands make beautiful areas to explore in fall and early winter. Torreya State Park and Three Rivers State Park are both excellent areas to explore when looking for leaf color in the Eastern Panhandle. In the Central Panhandle Falling Waters and Florida Caverns State Parks are great areas to visit. In the Western Panhandle Blackwater State Park, Blackwater State Forest, and parks along the Choctawhatchee River provide good leaf color. A scenic drive along rural highways is a great way to see color as well, with areas close to the state line being particularly good for a nice early winter drive. Get out and see the last of fall colors while they last, in a week or so they will be gone until next year.
There is a term that all oyster farmers dislike, it is almost like that one villain from a famous book/movie series where they shouldn’t say his name. That term is “unexplained spring/summer mortality” and it has been a growing issue along with the expansion of oyster farming throughout the southeast. While the art of oyster farming has been around since the time of the Romans, it is a relatively new venture here in the Gulf of Mexico, and Florida is home to over one hundred oyster farms. These farms are meticulously cared for by the oyster farm crew, with many different anti-fouling techniques and biosecurity measures in practice to provide the customer with a safe, clean product that you can consume even in the months without an R (another article on that coming later). Each year, farm managers can expect a 10-30% mortality event during the transition from winter into spring/summer, hence the term “unexplained spring/summer mortality.” Researchers and scientists from all over the southeast have been actively working to find a cause for this phenomenon, but the answer has been hard to find.
Dead, market ready oysters from one bag. Cause of death, “Unexplained Mortality Event 2022” Photo by: Thomas Derbes II
Our Pensacola Bay has been a hotbed for oysters lately; The Nature Conservancy recently constructed 33 oyster beds along Escribano Point in East Bay, the establishment of the Pensacola & Perdido Bay Estuary Program, acquisition of a $23 million restoration grant with $ 10 million towards 1,482 acres of oyster restoration, and the establishment of oyster farms and hatcheries. In Pensacola Bay, there are currently 5 oyster farms in operation, one of those farms being a family-owned and operated Grayson Bay Oyster Company. Brandon Smith has been managing the business and farm for over 4 years now and has experienced mortality events during those prime spring/summer months. In recent years, they have experienced mortality events ranging from minimal to what many would consider “catastrophic,” and reports from around Florida and the Southeast convey a similar message. Concerned for not only the future of his family farm, but other oyster farms in the Southeast, he has been working with the most experienced institutions and groups in 2022 to possibly get an answer on his and other local “unexplained mortality events.” Each road led to the same answer of “we aren’t quite sure,” but this didn’t deter Smith or other the farmers who are dealing with similar issues.
In 2023, Smith was invited to participate in a Florida-Wide program to track water quality on their farm. This project, led by Florida Sea Grant’s Leslie Sturmer from the Nature Coast Biological Station in Cedar Key, Florida, hopes to shed some light on the changes in water quality during the transition from winter to spring and spring to summer. Water samples have also been taken weekly to preserve plankton abundance and the presence of any harmful algae if a mortality event does occur. With the hottest July on record occurring in 2023, temperature could play a role in mortality events, and now researchers are equipped with the right tools and open lines of communication to possibly find a solution to the problem.
3-month-old seed being deployed out on Grayson Bay Oyster Company’s farm in Pensacola, Florida (2023). Photo by: Thomas Derbes II
As with traditional farming on land, oyster farming takes a mentally strong individual with an incredible work ethic and the ability to adapt to change. The Southeast has a resilient system of oyster farmers who display these traits and continue to put their noses down and “plant” seed every year for the continuation of a growing yet small industry, even through the hardest of trials and tribulations. Through collaboration with local and state institutions, stakeholders, programs, and citizens, oyster farmers are hopeful that they can solve this “unexplained mortality event” and help develop resilient farming techniques. An important message is local farms that have environmental and economic impacts cannot exist without the support of their community.
If you’re interested in tracking water quality on select farms, including Grayson Bay Oyster Company, the website is https://shellfish.ifas.ufl.edu/farms-2023/ and it is updated monthly.
When visiting and exploring seagrass beds, most are hoping, and expecting, to see fish. As we have seen in this series, there are a lot of creatures that can be found living within a seagrass meadow, but it is the fish that get our attention and what we talk most about afterwards.
According to Hoese and Moore’s Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico; Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters, there are 497 species of fish found in the Gulf of Mexico. In my surveys of Pensacola Bay over the years, I have logged 101 of those in the estuary. I am sure there are more, but I can confirm there are at least those. Many spend all or part of their time in our seagrasses. As you seine or snorkel in the grassbeds you will notice most of them are very small. Much of this is due to the fact that the seagrasses are nursery areas for many species, and it is the young that we find here. But many are also small as adults, and the grass provides food and shelter for them. There are far too many to mention in an article like this, but let’s look at some of them.
Sardines and Anchovies
As you snorkel through the grass, or even look at it from a boat or dock, you see numerous silver colored baitfish flashing as they dart in and out of the grass. There are all sorts of silver baitfish in the seagrasses with sardines and anchovies being two of them. In my experience seining for fish, they appear to be seasonal. I did not capture them all year but when I did, I would capture a lot. These species are famous for being the ones in small tins that people consume, though there is no fishery for them here locally. Anchovies have also been considered an indicator species; their presence suggests good water quality.
The striped anchovy is a fish often found in our seagrass beds.
Photo: NOAA.
Silverside Minnows
Also known as silversides and glass minnows, these are one of the most common fish collected in seine nets. They are abundant year-round and are an important food source for many of the larger predators living here. Small and transparent, you do not see them while snorkeling. Their huge presence is only discovered when you pull a seine net through the grass. There are several species of them, but they are not easily identified and more often are just logged as “silversides”. They are an important member of the seagrass community.
The silverside, or “glass” minnow.
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey
Seahorses and Pipefish
These two fish are highly specialized for living in seagrasses. They look like grass and move very little making them hard to detect. Like silverside minnows, it is rare to see them while snorkeling but make their presence known when seining. Their bodies are covered in armor-like scales, and they have tubed mouths for “vacuuming” small invertebrates from the water column. They are very slow swimmers and have to avoid detection by blending in with the environment. And yes, it is the males that carry the eggs in their brood pouches. These are amazing fish and always bring excitement when they are captured in the net. There are two species of seahorses and seven species of pipefish found in our waters.
The seahorse-like pipefish.
Photo: University of Florida
Killifish
Often called “bull minnows” by anglers, these small fish are, at times, very abundant. There are seven species of killifish in our bays but the Gulf Killifish, Longnose Killifish, and the Bayou Killifish are the ones we most often collected.
This longnose killifish has the rounded fins of a bottom dwelling fish.
Needlefish
These are common, frequently seen, fish swimming at the surface of the water. Long and needle-shaped, these fish have long snouts full of sharp teeth indicating they are one of the predators of this system. There are four species of them, and they are not easy to tell apart. They are harmless to humans unless you capture them in your net at which time they will try to bite.
Swimming near the surface is a common place to find needlefish.
Photo: Florida Springs Institute
Mullet
Another very common fish found year-round here. This species are the ones famous for jumping while you are fishing, paddling, or just watching from the beach. Those who do not visit the Gulf coast often always ask “I just saw a fish jump!” and the reply from a local (without even looking up to see what it was) will reply “It’s a mullet”. These schooling fish can get pretty large (average length is 30 inches) and it is common to see fishermen out with their cast nets trying to catch a few. It is a popular food fish for those along the Gulf coast. Mullet fries, with beans and grits, are a way of life here. The fish are easily seen swimming and darting over the grass as you paddle by, and their young are found seasonally in seine nets. They are bottom feeders, feeding mostly on algae from the grass blades. There are actually two species, the white and the striped mullet. The striped mullet, also known as the black mullet, is the one most often sold in the seafood markets.
The Striped Mullet.
Image: LSU Extension
Drums and Croakers
With 18 species within this family, this is the largest family of inshore fish in the Gulf. Growing up along the panhandle people learn quickly about croakers. Back in the day when gill nets were used to harvest mullet, croakers were a common catch as well, and often consumed. Today they are still sought by some shore-based anglers and juveniles are common in seine nets. The species I most often captured were the spot and Atlantic croaker. Spot croakers were common year-round, Atlantic croakers were more seasonal.
Drums are larger members of this family. There are several species more associated with sandy bottoms and the shoreline of the Gulf, many of these are called whiting, but the red drum (redfish) and black drum can be found in the grassbeds. Redfish are particularly common here and one of the reasons many anglers get out of bed in the morning. They are very popular sportfish across the region. Black drums are not found as often, and like being around pilings and structures that offer certain foods they prefer. Both species can get quite large. Redfish average 5 feet while black drums can reach an average of 3 feet.
All of the fish in this family are famous for their “croaking” “drum” sounds they make using their swim bladder, and it is rare not to capture at least one kind in a seine net.
The classic look of a bottom fish. This is the redfish, or red drum.
Photo: NOAA
Spotted Seatrout; Speckled Trout; “Specks”
There is no “trout family” in the fish world. Most freshwater trout are members of the salmon family while the marine versions are members of the drum/croaker family. This is the case with the famous speckled trout – or speck. There are white trout and silver seatrout in this family, and all are sought after by anglers, but it is the speckled trout that is most associated with seagrasses, most sought after by anglers, and is one of the top predators in this system. They reach an average length of 4 feet.
From my experience both snorkeling and seining the grasses, I would say – hands down – that pinfish is the most common species found in our grasses. For many young anglers this is the first fish they ever catch. You can see them easily while snorkeling and they are the most numerous species in the nets throughout the year. Their huge numbers play an important role in the food web of this system. Feeding on a variety of small invertebrates in and around the grass blades, pinfish are a large part of the diet of the larger sportfish we target. Throwing cast nets and dropping pinfish traps is popular with anglers to collect this abundant baitfish for their life bait fishing efforts. They are called pinfish because of the sharp spines in their dorsal fins. These are also the fish that nip at your ankles while you are standing still in the water.
Sheepsheads are larger members of the porgy family (the ones these two species belong to). As adults sheepsheads prefer hard structure where they can use their incisors to chip away at barnacles and other shellfish, but they are sometimes found roaming the grassbeds and their young will spend their growing years hiding and feeding in the grass.
One of the most common fish in our grassbeds; the pinfish.
Photo: Nicholls State University.
Pigfish
When first captured in the seine net, pigfish are often confused with pinfish – they look very similar. But a closer look at the striping/spotted pattern on their sides, and the position of their mouth, you realize you have something different. Being members of the grunt family, they also “croak” like croakers and drums – hence their common name “pigfish” – due to the grunting sounds. This helps with identifying which fish you have. Though common in the grasses, I did not catch these as frequently as pinfish and they were not as abundant.
Spotfin Mojarra
This is a common silver baitfish that resembles the pinfish and is frequently collected in our seine nets. The mojarra is in a different family than pinfish. They lack sharp spines and incisor teeth, rather they have a sort of “vacuum” like mouth which they use to suck small invertebrates from the sand.
Gag Grouper
This is a popular sport and commercial fish from the wrecks and reefs of the Gulf of Mexico. But gags begin their lives in the seagrass beds, and we have collected medium sized individuals in our seine nets. This underscores the importance of these grassbeds to the fisheries so many love. We need to protect these systems from our activity both on land and in the water.
Gag grouper.
Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Jacks
Another popular group with anglers, many species of jacks use these grasses as their nurseries. We most often collected juvenile lookdowns, pompano, and crevalle in our nets. At times we caught a small member of the family called a leatherjacket. These were seasonal and associated with breeding. Once again, underscoring the importance of having healthy seagrasses.
Jacks have the sleek, fast design of the typical open water marine fish.
Photo: NOAA
Toadfish
One of the creeper looking fish in the seagrass community is the Gulf toadfish (also known as the oyster dog). This monstrous looking bottom fish lives in burrows scattered around the grassbeds where they lie in wait to ambush prey. Their large mouths and sharp teeth can grab a variety of creatures, including the human finger. At times small toadfish will move into an empty can or bottle discarded by people instead of a burrow where they grow to a size they can no longer escape. It is said there may be a mild venom associated with their bite. Though no one has ever died, or been sent to the hospital, due their bite, it is painful and should be avoided.
The common estuarine Gulf toadfish.
Photo: Flickr
Barracuda
Yes, barracuda can be found in seagrasses. But in our case, these have all been juveniles. There are three species of them, and they are not easy to tell apart. They also appeared to be seasonal in our collections. We never found them high numbers, usually one or two in a seine. But they are present.
The Great Barracuda. Photo: NOAA
Lizardfish
This is another medium sized, sharp toothed, bottom dwelling predator of the grassbed community. There are seven species of them, and all have that “snake” “lizard” look to them having many sharp canine teeth. They spend their time buried in the sand waiting to ambush potential prey. Snorkelers may see them as they dart away tossing up sand when we get too close. I rarely see them snorkeling but occasionally capture them in the seine net to the delight of the students assisting.
Blennies and Gobies
These are very small fish that are almost impossible to find while snorkeling but are often collected in the seine net. They resemble the freshwater darters and, lacking a swim bladder, spend their time on the bottom. There are many species associated with rocks and artificial reefs but there are some who call the seagrasses home. They use their incisor teeth to feed on small invertebrates in and on the grasses. Being territorial, they can give a little nip to your hand. Gobies differ from blennies in that their two pelvic fins are fused together to form a sort of “cup” or “sucker disk”.
Puffers
Another one of the more popular fish with students who help me seine. Everyone loves to see them inflate with either water or air into a “balloon” to make it very difficult for predators to consume them. There are eight species of puffers in the Gulf of Mexico, five of them have been captured in our seines. Most are small with little “bumps” on their bodies instead of spines. But there is the Burrfish, who is a member of a different family that is medium sized, has spines, and is very common in the grassbeds.
Striped Burrfish
Photo: NOAA
Filefish
Our grassbeds are full of a small cousin to the triggerfish – the planehead filefish. Like triggerfish, filefish have a thick sharp spine that is found at the front of the dorsal fin – called a “trigger” on the triggerfish. The planehead filefish is a small species (nine inches average length), green to brown in color, and very common in the grassbeds; though you will probably not see one unless you catch it in a net.
Planehead Filefish.
Photo: NOAA.
Flounders and Soles
A favorite food fish for many locals, flounders spend a lot of time buried in the sand near grassbeds to ambush prey. Born with a typical fish design, early in development one of their eyes will move to the other side of the head, giving them two eyes on one side. By doing this, they have increased their binocular vision, improving their ability to judge accurate distance of the prey, and making hunting easier. They lose color on the side where the eye has left and have chromatophores (cells) on the side where the eyes are that, like octopus and squid, allow them to change colors and blend in. In our part of the Gulf, if the eyes move to the left side of the head, they are called flounders. If they move to the right, they are called soles. Soles in our part of the Gulf of small not of much interest to anglers. One small species is often collected by shrimpers who feed them to hogs. This sole can “cup” their body in defense making like a suction cup and they do this in the throat of the hogs sometimes killing them. They are called “hogchokers”. Flounders on the other hand are very popular with anglers. Some fish for them using rod and reel, others prefer gigging them at night using lanterns. There are 17 species of flounder, some reaching lengths of three feet.
A flounder scurrying across the seafoor.
Photo: NOAA
Tonguefish
Tonguefish are small flat fish with eyes on one side of their heads like flounder. They differ than that their tails come to a point and there is no caudal fin present, as there is in flounders. As mentioned, they are small – ranging from 3 to 8 inches in length. The Blackcheek tonguefish is particularly common in our grassbeds. But like so many, you will not see it unless you catch it in a net.
Snook
This is a very popular gamefish from south Florida associated with several habitats including grassbeds. Due to a process some call “tropicalization” – the movement of tropical species north due to climate change – snook are now, albeit in small numbers, reported in the Florida panhandle. This is a new species you may see while exploring or fishing out there.
This snook was captured near Cedar Key. These tropical fish are becoming more common in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Photo: UF IFAS
There are many more species of fish found in our grassbeds we could talk about, but we will end it here. As we mentioned in the beginning, this is a group of animals that many come to the beach to find. Whether for fun or for food, finding fish makes for a good day. See how many different species you can find.
As I write this article it is mid spring, and the rays are bedding on the edges of our seagrass beds. The most common species seen is the Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina). They are often found in the sandy areas near the grass where they bury in the sand to ambush potential prey. This time of year, their numbers increase as the females are preparing to releasee their young in summer. Mating occurs in early spring and the females will deliver live young1.
According to Hoese and Moore2, there are eight families and 18 species of rays and skates found in the Gulf of Mexico. These are cartilaginous fish found in the same class as sharks but differ in that their gills slits are on the ventral side (bottom) of the body and their pectoral fins begin before the gill slits do on the side of the head. Most are depressed (top to bottom) and appear like pancakes, but not all of them. Sawfish and guitarfish appear more like sharks than rays.
Of the 18 species listed, seven can be found in the estuaries and may be associated with nearby seagrass beds. Two are species of sawfish, which are rare in our bays these days.
The sawfish.
Photo: University of Florida.
There are two members of the eagle ray family, the cownose ray and the eagle ray, which can be found in our bays. These resemble manta rays but differ in that they lack the characteristic “horns” of the manta (often called the Devil Ray because of them) and they do possess a bard on their tail, which manta’s do not. These are more pelagic rays spending their time swimming in the water column and hunting for buried food.
The cownose ray is often mistaken for the manta ray. It lacks the palps (“horns”) found on the manta.
Photo: Florida Sea Grant
The butterfly ray does resemble butterflies in shape having wide “wing-like” fins and a very small tail. It behaves similar to stingrays burying in the sand and ambushing smaller prey.
Two of the more familiar stingrays are found in our grassbeds, the Atlantic Stingray and the Southern Stingray. The Atlantic Stingray’s disk is more round in shape while the Southern Stingray’s is more angular shaped. The Southern Stingray is larger (disk width about five feet, Atlantic disk width is about two feet) and prefers estuaries with higher salinity. The Atlantic Stingray is very common and can tolerate freshwater, thus is common throughout the bay.
The Atlantic Stingray is one of the common members of the ray group who does possess a venomous spine.
Photo: Florida Museum of Natural History
Stingrays are notorious for their venomous bards and painful stings. They actually try to avoid humans and are frequently spooked by our activity fleeing as soon as they can. However, there are times when people accidentally step on one buried in the sand, or hiding in the grass at which time they will flip their whip-like tail up and over to drive their barb into your foot forcing you to move it – and you do move it – while you yell and scream. The ray then will swim away and can regrow a new barb.
The bard is a modified tooth. It is serrated on each side and there is a thin sac of venom along the flat side of the barb. When it penetrates your foot there is pain enough there. But the natural reaction of your body to an open wound is to close it, this reaction can pop the venom sac and release the toxin. The chemistry of the toxin is not life threatening to humans but is very painful. This experience is something you do want to avoid.
Like their shark cousins, rays do have rows of small teeth which they use to crush small invertebrates including shelled mollusks. They lie in the sand to ambush prey moving in and out of the seagrass beds. They possess two spiracles on the top of their heads which provide water to the gills when they are lying on the seafloor or buried in it.
Like sharks, males can be identified by the two claspers associated with the anal fin and the females usually have two uteri where the young develop. In skates, and some other rays, the young are deposited into the environment within a hardened egg case often called a “mermaids purse”. We see these washed ashore in the beach wrack. Young stingrays usually develop within the female and are born “live” in summer.
Though there is fear of this animal from some seagrass explorers they are a small threat unless you step on one. To avoid this, when in and around the sandy areas of a grassbed, move your feet in what we call the “stingray shuffle”. This is sliding your feet across the surface of the sand instead of stepping. The pressure generated from this movement can be detected by the ray several feet away and they will immediately move away.
Despite the fear, they are amazing creatures and play an important role in the overall health of the grassbed community.
References
1 Snelson, F.F., Williams-Hooper, S.E., Schmid, T.H. 1988. Reproduction and Ecology of the Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis sabina, in Florida Coastal Lagoons. Copeia. Vol. 1988, No. 3 (Aug 1988). Pp. 729-739.
2 Hoese, H.D., Moore, R.H. 1977. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico; Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters. Texas A&M University Presse. College Station TX. Pp. 327.
