Spring break is upon us and this often includes trips to the beach. Encountering dolphins and other marine life in the wild can be a once-in-a lifetime experience. There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow to prevent human/wildlife conflict while promoting a positive and memorable experience. These tips from NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries can serve as a guide to recreating responsibly.
Keep my pets home or on a leash: Before you take your pet on an outdoor adventure, make sure they are permitted to be there, and if they are, keep them on a leash at all times! When pets get too close to wildlife, especially marine mammals, all animals are at risk of harm, stress, and even disease.
Lead by example: What are some ways you can lead by example while enjoying the outdoors? By helping others to become responsible wildlife watchers, we protect both people and animals. Show respect for wildlife and other visitors, speak up about wildlife viewing violations, and choose businesses who recreate responsibly.
Report wildlife that seems sick or abandoned: Plenty of marine animals love to spend time on the beach to rest or eat, just like us! Seeing wildlife on the shore is not always cause for concern, but if you see an animal that appears sick or abandoned, make sure to give it plenty of space and contact your local wildlife authorities. Contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922 in Florida.
Keep snacks to yourself: Sharing is caring, but not when it comes to sharing food with animals! Wildlife are perfectly capable of finding their own food. Feeding wildlife often does more harm than good and is actually illegal for many species, so keep those snacks to yourself!
Lend a hand with trash removal: Each year, billions of pounds of waste enter our ocean. This debris can be ingested by wildlife causing them harm or even death. To do your part try reusing and even refusing plastics. Make sure to properly dispose of your garbage and recycle whenever possible as well pick up any debris you see!
Keep my hands to myself: You might be tempted to pet a seal basking in the sun but getting too close or startling them can evoke aggressive behavior and seriously injure them as well as you. Be sure to stand at a safe distance to get that perfect photo as touching, feeding, or harassing wild animals is often illegal and can ruin both yours and the animals’ day.
Hang back and enjoy the view: Giving wildlife their space is SO important! Getting too close to wildlife exerts the precious energy they rely on for hunting, attracting mates, and raising their young. By hanging back from our wildlife, we can help to keep them healthy and stress-free.
Finally, we encourage the public to show their support for wildlife on social media by taking the pledge and share this information with a friend. https://go.usa.gov/xH385.
The habitats of a barrier island are defined and driven by the plant communities there. Seeds from the mainland must first reach the new island and they can do so using a variety of different methods. Some come by wind, some by water, some by birds and other wildlife. Some of these germinate, some do not. Those that do, do so on a sandy island with little or no relief and must deal with the winds off the Gulf, which has salt spray. Many of these mainland plants cannot tolerate this and never make it. But some can… and do.
The dune fields of panhandle barrier islands are awesome – so reaching over 50 ft. in height. This one is near the Big Sabine hike (notice white PVC markers).
These early plant communities are known as the pioneer community – meaning the earliest settlers. In the process of succession pioneer communities are made of creatures that can tolerate the harshest conditions, the early days of ecosystem development. There are usually few nutrients, extreme climatic conditions, and for the animals, few prey to select from. But these pioneers are adapted to survive in these conditions and over time alter the conditions so that other creatures can move in.
For the barrier islands, grasses seem to be the plants who do best in the early stages of succession. Though small shrubs and trees may reach the island, the high winds and salt spray will not allow growth. There are numerous species of grasses that can live here, the most famous are the sea oats (Uniola paniculata). This grass can be found on the smallest of barrier islands. Their fibrous root system runs beneath the ground sprouting new grasses all over. Their seed heads blow with the wind starting new populations of plants on other locations and the landscape is soon dominated by them. However, there are other species as well. Panic grass (Panicum amarium), salt hay (Spartina patens), and beach elder (Iva imbricata) to name a few. All these grasses can tolerate the wind and salt spray as well as the low nutrient, low rainfall often found on these islands. They also all have fibrous roots systems that not only connect grasses across the land scape but also trap blowing sand – forming dunes.
The primary dune is dominated by salt tolerant grasses like this sea oat. Photo: Rick O’Connor.
The dunes closest to the Gulf are dominated by grass due to the higher winds and salt spray there. These are called the primary dunes and create one of the first habitats on the island for wildlife. The primary dunes vary in height and how far from the Gulf they range but they do form a wind break for portions of the island landward of the Gulf.
Here smaller shrubs and plants like seaside golden (Solidago sempervirens) and seaside rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) can grow. With less wind their seeds will germinate and survive. What wind is still there forces the plants to grow in a round shape resembling green sheep on a white field, instead of white sheep on a green field. My professor referred to them as “beach sheep”. This area of the barrier island is called the secondary dune and includes other species such as false rosemary (Conradina canescens), square flower (Odontonychia corymbosa), and sandhill milkweed (Asclepias humistrata). Though they cannot tolerate the high winds as grasses do, they do have to tolerate climatic extremes and low rainfall.
Small round shrubs and brown grasses within the swales are characteristic of the secondary dune field.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
These secondary dunes vary in elevation and can become taller than the primary dunes. In the low areas between dunes are areas where freshwater water can collect and form ephemeral ponds. These areas are known as swales and create unique habitats much sought after by some wildlife. More bog like plants grow here such as water dock (Rumex orbiculatus) and marsh pink (Rhexia nashii) but also includes the carnivorous plants like the sundew (Drosera rotundifolia). There are many insects who used these ephemeral ponds and many spiders and sundews to take advantage of this.
Behind the larger secondary dunes, the wind is even less, and the dune wind breaks higher. Here trees can germinate, if they can tolerate the climatic conditions, and grow. Though the species that grow out there are some of the same you find on the mainland, here they grow differently. Barrier island trees tend grow out, not up, to avoid direct contact with wind and salt spray. And, when they do reach the wind the portion of tree directly facing the wind tends to be stunted in growth, giving it the appearance that someone has “combed” the tree back towards the bay – something they call wind sculpting. Trees that seem do well in what they call the tertiary dune include sand live oak (Quercus geminata), pine (Pinus sp.), and magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) and even cactus like the prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) and the devil’s joint (Opuntia pusilla) can be found growing here.
The top of a pine tree within a tertiary dune.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
Tertiary dunes are some of the largest on the island, with elevations reaching 50 feet or more. These provide excellent wind breaks from the Gulf and allow the formation of salt marshes along the bay side shoreline. Marshes are habitats dominated by grass, but these grasses must be able to tolerate periods emersed in salt water, at least at high tide. Close to the dunes the marsh is dominated by dense stands of black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). In some locations within the needlerush marsh are areas of bare sand known as salt pans. These are low areas within the marsh where water remains when the tide recedes. These small marsh ponds begin to evaporate in the intense sunlight and the salinity increases to a level where it kills off much of the plant life leaving an area of bare sand. These salt pans are used by some wildlife on the islands. Eventually you will reach the waters edge where smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) grows. This marsh grass can tolerate water for longer periods than needlerush and supports both island wildlife and estuarine fisheries.
A finger of a salt marsh on Santa Rosa Island. The water here is saline, particularly during high tide. Photo: Rick O’Connor
As you can imagine, the process of establishing the pioneer community of grasses on a new, small sand bar, to an island filled with dunes and vegetation takes time – years, decades, maybe centuries – but eventually it will reach what we call the climax community and provides a variety of habitats to support wildlife.
In part 3 we will begin to look at how animal species colonize the islands as these habitats form.
First, the invasion seems to be silently spreading. A just a couple of years ago we had very few records, one off individuals that were removed by those reporting. But they have slowly, and quietly, been spreading. A couple of years ago there was a report of a small group of them near Tyndall AFB in Panama City. Dr. Steve Johnson, University of Florida, decided to see if this small group survived the winter, they did. It was confirmed as the first breeding population in the panhandle. Then the one off reports began increasing again.
Photo by: Dr. Steve Johnson
One area in Santa Rosa County was recording numerous individuals. These reports continued over the winter, and it seems they were breeding there as well. In my neck of the woods, Pensacola, I am getting more calls about them. EDDMapS currently list 18 records in the panhandle. This is definitely underreported. Most of those are in the Panama City area. The entire invasion reminds me of the Cuban (Brown) Anole; quietly increasing numbers while we watch and wonder what to do.
Second has to do with that issue… what to do. Managing invasive plants seems to be easier that invasive animals. People seem to be fine with pulling or spraying weeds. But euthanizing animals is another thing. And I get it, I like frogs too. Ending any life is hard to do. This makes managing this species much harder.
One way to look at next steps is to stop the introduction of any more species. We are pretty sure the primary method of introduction is what we call “hitchhiking”. Most of the plants we purchase for our landscaping projects come from large commercial nurseries in south Florida. Here they are grown by the hundreds of thousands, loading on trucks, and brought to our part of the state. Unbeknown to us, other small creatures are hitchhiking on these plants and their containers. Some of these are invasive species like the Cuban (Brown) Anole, and the Cuban Treefrog. At one time, this was not as much of a concern because they would not survive our cold winters. But our winters are not as cold anymore. Hard freezes do occur, and this may still be our best management plan, but with fewer hard freezes breeding populations will be allowed to continue the invasion. And it could be that with higher numbers of Cuban Treefrogs in the area, some will survive these freezes to continue. This has certainly happened with the Cuban (Brown) Anole.
Cuban Anole. Photo credit: Dr. Steve A. Johnson, University of Florida
So, I am not sure. The answer may be no to this one. One thing we can do is help monitor their populations. When we see a Cuban Treefrog report it to EDDMapS or your county extension office. This will give us a better idea of how the invasion is going and whether they are surviving our winters.
How do you know a Cuban Treefrog from our native species. Here are a couple of articles on how to do this.
If you choose to euthanize them, how do you do this humanely?
You can catch them using 3-foot sections of PVC pipe about 1.25” in diameter. These are placed vertically in the ground along the outside wall of a building near an exterior light source (where bugs are attracted). In the morning, check the inside of the pipes. If treefrogs are present, try to identify them. Cuban Treefrogs are the only ones in the panhandle that reach lengths of 4-6 inches. If they are all small, you will need to collect them and identify them using one of the publications listed above.
If you positively identify one, the first step is to confirm it. You can do this by contacting your county extension office. Second, report it to EDDMapS (www.EDDMapS.org). If confirmed, and you choose to euthanize it, the following link will explain how to do this humanely.
This situation is similar to the lionfish invasion we experienced 10 years ago. We know they are here, and we know they can be a serious problem. We are not sure we can eradicate them, but they should be managed. We will see how this goes.
¿Está interesado en hacer algo que beneficie a su comunidad marina local? ¡Disfruta de días al sol, como un “Scallop Sitter” (cuidador de las vieiras)!
“Scallop Sitters” (cuidador de vieiras) es uno de nuestros programas de voluntariado cooperativo con Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC, por sus siglas en inglés). Históricamente, las poblaciones de vieiras de la bahía eran muy numerosas y podían sustentar las pesquerías en muchas bahías del norte de Florida, incluidas la bahía de San Andrés, la bahía de San Juan y el Puerto de los Caimanes (Condado de Franklin). Años consecutivos de malas condiciones ambientales, pérdida de hábitat y “mala suerte” en general resultaron en una escasa producción anual y provocaron el cierre de la pesquería de vieiras. La vieira de la bahía es una especie de corta vida que pasa de ser una cría a adultos que desovan y muere en un año aproximadamente. Las poblaciones de vieiras pueden recuperarse rápidamente cuando las condiciones de crecimiento son buenas y pueden disminuir drásticamente cuando las condiciones de crecimiento son malas.
En 2011 se presentó la oportunidad de poner en marcha la restauración de las vieiras de la bahía del norte de Florida. Con la financiación del derrame de petróleo de Deepwater Horizon, se propuso un programa de restauración de vieiras en varios condados, que finalmente se estableció en 2016. Los científicos de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC, por sus siglas en inglés) utilizan vieiras criadas en criaderos, obtenidos a partir de progenitores o reproductores de las bahías locales, para cultivarlas en masa y aumentar el número de adultos reproductores cerca del hábitat crítico de las praderas marinas.
La Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC, por sus siglas en inglés) también creó otro programa en el que los voluntarios pueden ayudar con la restauración llamado “Scallop Sitters” en 2018 e invitó a UF/IFAS Extension a ayudar a dirigir la parte de voluntarios del programa en 2019, lo que llevó a esfuerzos específicos en los condados del Golfo y la Bahía.
Para ayudar a las vieiras, los “Scallop Sitters” trabajan con UF/IFAS Extension, Florida Sea Grant y los científicos de restauración de la Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC, por sus siglas en inglés) limpiando las vieiras y comprobando la salinidad una vez al mes desde junio hasta enero. Foto de Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS Extension y Florida Sea Grant.
Después del hiato de 2020 debido a COVID-19, el programa presumió de casi 100 voluntarios para la campaña de 2021. UF/IFAS Extension se asocia de nuevo con Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC, por sus siglas en inglés) en los Condados de Bahía y Golfo y Franklin. A pesar de los retos que suponen las lluvias, la escorrentía de las aguas pluviales y la baja salinidad, nuestros voluntarios de Scallop Sitter han proporcionado información valiosa a los investigadores y a los esfuerzos de restauración, especialmente en estos primeros años de nuestro programa. Los “Scallop Sitters” recogen información útil sobre la salinidad en las bahías de destino. Pero la mayor parte del impacto se produce al observar de cerca sus vieiras. Las vieiras que mantienen sus cuidadores tienen más posibilidades de desovar con éxito cuando sea el momento adecuado.
Una jaula “Scallop Sitter” lista para ser colocada cerca de las praderas marinas. Las jaulas son herramientas de restauración utilizadas para producir crías de vieira durante el ciclo anual de crecimiento. Foto de L. Scott Jackson.
¿Qué hace un cuidador de vieiras? Los voluntarios dirigen jaulas de exclusión de depredadores de vieiras, que quedan colocadas en la bahía o junto a un muelle. Los “Scallop Sitters” (cuidador de vieiras) vigilan la tasa de mortalidad y recogen datos sobre la salinidad que ayudan a determinar los objetivos de restauración y el éxito en las zonas seleccionadas.
¡Está invitado! ¡Cómo convertirse un “Scallop Sitter” (cuidador de vieiras)!
Las fechas de entrenamiento para 2023 se anunciarán en breve. Por favor, envíenos un correo electrónico si está interesado en ser voluntario o en recibir información adicional. Chantille Gooding, Coordinadora de Recursos Costeros del Condado de la Bahía. c.gooding@ufl.edu
Una institución con igualdad de oportunidades. UF/IFAS Extension, Universidad de Florida, Instituto de Ciencias Alimentarias y Agrícolas, Andra Johnson, Decana de UF/IFAS Extension. Las copias individuales de las publicaciones de UF/IFAS Extension (excluyendo las publicaciones de 4-H y de los jóvenes) están disponibles gratuitamente para los residentes de Florida en las oficinas de UF/IFAS Extension del condado.
We all know how important oxygen is to all life. It is an element with the atomic number of 8, meaning it has eight protons and eight electrons. It has an atomic mass of 16 indicating that it also has eight neutrons. Oxygen is a gas at room temperature indicating that 70°F is VERY hot for this element. It is a diatomic molecule, meaning that it likes to combine with other elements and will combine with itself if need be. Oxygen is not actually O, it is O2 in nature. There is a triatomic form of this element, O3, which is called ozone – but that is another story.
Again, we know oxygen is much needed by living organisms. Well… by most living organisms – there are some microbes that can survive with little or no oxygen, but for the majority of the creatures we are familiar with, it is a must.
I have asked students why oxygen was so important to life. I usually get the answer “that we will die without it”. I respond by asking again – “but WHY do we need it? What does it DO?” And the response usually does not change – “we must have it or we will die”. There is no doubt that it is important. Being in an atmosphere with little or no oxygen sends our bodies into a “stress mode” gasping – but what DOES the element actually do for us?
Life is abundant on this planet due to the presence of oxygen.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Oxygen is needed to complete the reaction we call respiration. For most, the term respiration means “breathing” and this would be correct – but it is more than that. It is an oxygen demanding reaction we all need to remain alive. In this reaction the sugar molecule glucose (C6H12O6) is oxidized to produce Adenosine triphosphate (ATP – C10H13N5O13P3). ATP is the “energy” molecule needed for cells to function – our gasoline. It fuels all metabolic reactions needed to sustain life. ATP cannot be consumed in food, it must be made in the cell and, as the reaction below shows, it requires sugar (which we get from food) and oxygen (which we inhale from the atmosphere) to work.
C6H12O6 + O2 –> CO2 + H2O + ATP
This reaction will produce 36 of the much-needed molecules of ATP with each cycle. It is known that in anaerobic respiration (the break down of glucose without oxygen) it will also produce ATP but not as much – only 2 molecules of it instead of 36. So, for most creatures’ aerobic respiration (with oxygen) is preferred and needed.
The primary source of oxygen on our planet is plants. This suggest that before plants existed there may have been little, or no, oxygen on in our atmosphere and scientists believe this was the case. When you look at the fossil records it suggests that prior to plants existence there was life (anaerobic life) but after plants the diversity and abundance of life exploded. Aerobic respiration seems to be the way to go.
As most know, plants produce oxygen in the process known as photosynthesis. This chemical reaction is used by the plants to produce the other needed respiration molecule glucose. Plants produce their own glucose and so are called producers, while other creatures, including animals, are consumers – consuming glucose in their food. The reaction for photosynthesis is –
CO2 + H2O –> C6H12O6 + O2
The excess oxygen produced in this reaction is released into the atmosphere by the plants. It makes up 20% of our atmosphere and this allows life as we know it to exist. Note… almost 50% of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from single celled algae called phytoplankton that grow and exist at the surface of our oceans.
Single celled algae are the “grasses of the sea” and provide the base of most marine food chains.
Photo: University of New Hampshire
But what about aquatic creatures who do not breath the atmosphere you and I do? How do they obtain this much needed oxygen drifting in our atmosphere?
The answer is in dissolved oxygen. Oxygen, being a gas, is released into the atmosphere. Even the oxygen produced by submerged aquatic plants, like seagrasses and algae, release their oxygen as a bubble of gas which floats to the surface, pops, and is released to the atmosphere. To get that back to the creatures in the water who need it as much as we do, you have to “dissolve” it into the water.
To do this you must break the hydrogen bonds that connect water molecules to each other. Water is a polar molecule, and each molecule connects to each other like magnets using hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonds are weak and easy to break, but you must MOVE the water in order to do this.
The water molecule.
Image: Florida Atlantic University
Water movement, such as waves, currents, and tides, will do it. The more movement you have the more oxygen will dissolve into it. Waterways such as the rapids of mountain rivers and waterfalls will have high concentrations of dissolved oxygen – usually over 10 µg/L. For some creatures this could be too high – like an oxygen rush to the head – but for others, like brook trout, it is perfect. They do not do well in water with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations less than 10.
For most waterways the DO concentrations run between 4 and 10 µg/L. Most systems run between 5-7. Waterways with a DO concentration less that 4 µg/L are termed hypoxic – oxygen deprived – and many creatures cannot live at these levels. They are literally gasping for air. I have seen fish at the surface of our local waterways when the DOs are low gasping for much needed oxygen through the atmosphere. It is also the primary reason the great crab jubilees of Mobile Bay occurs. Low levels of DO in the bay will trigger many creatures to leave seeking higher DO in the open Gulf. But for some benthic creatures – like stingray, flounder, and blue crabs – they will literally run onto the beach gasping for oxygen. The fish known as menhaden are particularly sensitive to low DOs and are one of the first to die when concentrations begin to dip below 4. When you see the surface of a waterway littered with dead menhaden it typically means there is a DO problem.
Slick calm water diffuses/dissolves less oxygen.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
That said, some creatures, like catfish, can tolerate this and do not become stressed until the concentrations get below 2 µg/L. If they ever reach 0 µg/L (and I have seen this twice – once in Mobile Bay and once in Bayou Texar) the waterway is termed anoxic – NO oxygen. This is obviously not good. Some are familiar with the “Louisiana Dead Zone”. An area of the open Gulf of Mexico south of the Mississippi River where DO levels decline in the summer to levels where most benthic species, particularly shrimp, are hard to find. It seems “dead” – void of marine life. This is also a DO issue.
How – or why – do dissolved oxygen levels get that low?
There are three basic reasons to this answer.
The surface is still, and little atmosphere oxygen is being “dissolved”. We have all seen calm days when the water is as slick as glass. On days like these, less oxygen is being dissolved into the system and the DO concentrations begin to drop. But how low will they go?
The water is warm. Higher water temperatures hold less oxygen. As the water warms the oxygen “evaporates” and the DO concentrations begin to decline. If it is a warm calm day (like those during a high-pressure system in summer) you have both working against you and the DO may drop too low. Most fish kills due to DO concentrations occur during the hot calm summer days.
What is called biological oxygen demand. All creatures within the system demand oxygen and remove it from the water column. However, in most cases, atmospheric dissolved oxygen will replace for a net loss of zero (or close to it). But when creatures die and sink to the bottom the microbes that decompose their bodies also demand oxygen. If there is a lot of dead organic material on the bottom of the waterway that needs to be broken down, the oxygen demanding microbes can significantly decrease the DO concentrations. This dead organic material is not restricted to fish and crabs that die but would include plant material like leaves and grass clippings from our yards, organic waste like feces, food waste, the carcasses of cleaned fish, any organic material that can be broken down can trigger this process.
Now picture the perfect storm. A hot summer day with no wind and high humidity over a body of water that has heavy organic loads of leaves, dead fish carcasses, and waste. BAM – hypoxia… – low DO… fish kill… which would trigger more oxygen demanding decomposition and – more dead fish – a vicious cycle.
You have probably gathered that low dissolved oxygen concentrations can occur naturally – and this is true – but they can also be enhanced by our activity. Allowing organic material from our yards (grass clippings, leaves, and pet waste) to enter a body of water will certainly enhance the chance of a hypoxic condition and a possible fish kill – which would in turn fuel lower DO and poor water quality state for that body of water. The release of human waste (food and garbage, sewage, etc.) will also trigger this. And throwing fish carcasses after cleaning at the boat dock will too.
But there is another process that more people are becoming familiar with that has been a problem for some time. The process of eutrophication. Eutrophic indicates the waterway is nutrient rich. These nutrients are needed by the plants in order to grow – and they do. Particularly the single celled algae known as phytoplankton. These phytoplankton begin to grow in huge numbers. So, abundant that they can color the water – make it darker. As mentioned above, they produce a lot of oxygen, but at night they consume it, and with SO much phytoplankton in the water they can consume a large amount of DO. The DOs begin to drop as the evening wears on and before sunrise may reach concentrations low enough to trigger a fish kill. These phytoplankton will eventually die and with the large mass of organic matter sinking to the bottom, the oxygen demand to decompose them can trigger larger fish kills. These fish kills in turn demand more oxygen to decompose and the process of eutrophication can create a waterway with very poor water quality and a habitat unsuitable for many aquatic creatures. It is not good. This is the process that causes the Louisiana Dead Zone each summer. The nutrients are coming from the Mississippi River.
One of 39 stormwater drains into Bayou Texar that can introduce a variety of organic compounds that can fuel eutrophication.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
So, is there anything we can do to help reduce this from happening?
Well, remember some hypoxic conditions are natural and they will happen. But there are things we can do to not enhance them or trigger them in waterways that would otherwise not have them.
When raking your yard, place all leaves in paper bags for pick up. This keeps the leaves from washing into the street during rain events (and we are getting plenty of those) and eventually into a local waterway. The problem with using plastic bags is that the local utility who collects them can no longer compose this into mulch. You might consider using your leaves and grass clippings for landscaping yourself.
Watch fertilization of your yard. Many over fertilize their yards and the unused fertilizer is washed into the street and eventually into the local waterway. These fertilizers will do to phytoplankton what they were designed to do with your lawn – make them grow. Of course, not fertilizing your yard would be best, but if you must place only the amount, and type, your lawn needs. Your extension office can help you determine what that would be.
Pick up pet waste when you take your pets out to go to the bathroom.
If you have a septic tank – maintain it. You can also look into converting to a sewer system.
If you are on sewer – watch what you pour down the drain. Many products – such as fats, oils, and grease – can create clogs that cause sanitary sewage overflows when we have heavy rains (and we will have heavy rains). Our local utility in the Pensacola area offers the FOG program (Fats, Oils, and Grease). In this program you can pick up a clean 1-gallon plastic container to pour your fats, oils, and grease into. Once full, you bring it back and switch for a clean empty. To find where these containers bins are located near you visit the ECUA website – https://ecua.fl.gov/live-green/fats-oils-grease.
1-gallon container provided free to dispose of your oil and grease.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Dissolved oxygen concentrations naturally go up and down, and sometimes low enough to trigger a natural fish kill but following some of the suggestions above can help reduce how frequently these happen and can help to make our estuary healthier.
