Whale I’ll Be!
We are fortunate to have several whale species that have been spotted in the Gulf of Mexico including humpback whales, Rice whales, fin whales, sperm whales, sei whales, and orca whales. Recently, however, we have seen multiple reports of whale sharks near shore in...
Meet the Map Turtles
Florida has a great variety of turtles. Actually, the species richness here is higher than any other state – though Alabama may argue. Many are familiar to us. If we have not seen them, we have at least heard of them. But that may not be the...
Meet the Bay Scallop
As I write this, we are in the middle of our 2023 Scallop Search, an event we do each year to assess whether the scallops in Pensacola Bay are trying to make a comeback on their own. Each year I am amazed at how popular this little mollusk is. On the day I...
Gearing up for Red Snapper
Welcome to Red Snapper Season 2023! The season began June 1, 2023 at 12:01am for "For Hire" vessels fishing in federal waters and continues through August 25, 2023. For Florida recreational anglers in state waters, the season started a few days later on June 16. While...
Our Intense Weather and Climate Change
Everyone has noticed the intense weather that crossed the United States in recent years. Tornadoes are hitting communities throughout the Midwest, but are also hitting places like Seattle, southern California, and even recently Pensacola Beach. ...
A Sea of Grass; Part 11- Reptiles
When snorkeling the grassbeds of the Florida panhandle encountering a reptile has a low probability, but it is not zero. Of all the reptiles that call this part of the state home, few enter marine waters and most of those are very mobile, moving up and down the...
We Are HOT!! So Are Our Ecosystems: The Effects of Increasing Climate Change on Agriculture and Natural Resources
De’Anthony Price Agriculture & Natural Resources UF/IFAS Extension Jefferson County It is no surprise how hot it has been this summer. With increasing temperatures, the danger also increases for our agriculture and natural resources. Our agriculture and natural...
Nature-Based Stormwater Solutions in the Florida Panhandle
Summertime always makes me think of the supermarket. At least one time each of the past few summers, I clearly remember being at the supermarket during a rainstorm and watching the water wash over the parking lot, talking with all the other people debating whether to...
The Molting of Crabs
One of the community science volunteer projects I oversee in the Pensacola area is the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch. The first objective of this project is to determine whether horseshoe cabs exist in your bay – FYI, they do exist in Pensacola Bay. The...
Deep Sea Submersibles
In the diving world there are basically three forms of diving: free diving, compressed air diving, and 1-Atmosphere diving. After the recent accident with the OceanGate Titian we thought we would give some basics as to how this form of diving works. Let’s...