Project Name: Coastal rivers as unrecognized winter fish habitat: quantifying oligohaline habitat use in Pensacola and Perdido Bays
Awardee: University of South Alabama
Amount Awarded: $48,348.00
Fisheries monitoring programs are essential for establishing fish community baselines in dynamic estuarine environments like Pensacola and Perdido Bays (PPB). Seasonal sampling has become increasingly vital as climate change alters local fish communities. For instance, increased catches of Common Snook, a tropical sportfish, in Perdido Bay have led Alabama agencies to establish size/creel limits for this species. Shorter, milder winters necessitate enhanced cold-season (late fall to early spring) monitoring to detect such changes in species phenology and early detection of novel species, especially for Snook that use coastal rivers as thermal refugia. We propose to augment state agency monitoring by conducting electrofishing surveys, environmental DNA, and habitat surveys in the river systems feeding into the PPB from October 2024 to March 2025. Our goal is to establish an updated baseline for overwintering freshwater and estuarine fish species and enhance novel species detection. Our objectives are to: 1) determine overwintering fish communities; 2) identify spatial differences in these communities; and 3) evaluate habitat associations (marsh edge, submerged vegetation, unvegetated bottom). For Common Snook, we will also 4) collect biological data and apply external dart tags for recapture information. Finally, 5) we will engage in community outreach that will enhance local knowledge about these species through surveys, events, and targeted engagement. This project aims to provide management agencies with critical data to detect changes in local fish communities and manage native fisheries through enhanced cold-season monitoring and novel species detection.
Project Name: A Comparison of Fish and Decapod Communities in Natural vs. Impacted Tidal Creeks of Santa Rosa Sound
Awardee: Northwest Florida State College
Amount Awarded: $47,423.00
Tidal tributaries, including small tidal creeks and tidal ponds, serve as critical habitats to numerous marine fish and invertebrate species. This includes many important forage species and the juveniles of many commercially and recreationally important species such as Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Blue Crab, and penaeid shrimp. There is a general lack of either short term or long term assessment and monitoring of juvenile fish and decapod species in the Pensacola Bay system including Santa Rosa Sound. Initial sampling of a subset of tidal creeks draining into Santa Rosa Sound over the past year demonstrated that many of these creeks support large fish populations that included juveniles of both recreational sportfish and commercially targeted decapods. That study focused mainly on relatively intact and minimally impacted creeks. However, many of the creeks along the sound have been highly impacted (seawall shorelines, little/no emergent vegetation, dredged/channelized, etc.). Previous studies have noted that highly impacted tidal tributaries often have lower fish abundances and/or fish communities that are quite different (more pelagic schooling species, more large/adult sportfish, fewer marsh residents, fewer juvenile sportfish) than more natural creeks. This study will compare the fish and decapod communities in a subset of both relatively natural and highly impacted tidal creeks (4 each) over the granting period. Bimonthly sampling with mid-size bag seines will allow both small juveniles and larger subadults/adults to be collected. This data may provide vital information to justify the preservation and restoration tidal creeks in the Santa Rosa Sound system (and surrounding areas).
Project Name: Heritage Roots: A Native Plant Garden Celebrating Culture and Ecology in Northwest Florida
Awardee: University of West Florida
Amount Awarded: $44,691.19
The "Heritage Roots: A Native Plant Garden Celebrating Cultural and Ecological Diversity" project at the UWF Archaeology Institute aims to create an enriching educational space that showcases native plants of the Pensacola and Perdido Bays watershed and highlights their cultural significance. Spanning 0.2 acres, this ethnobotanical garden will feature native flora used by the many cultures that have called Northwest Florida home, with interpretive signage in both English and the Mvskoke language. The garden will complement the existing free and publicly accessible Archaeology Institute Museum space, highlighting UWF’s work at archaeological sites on land and underwater in the local area.
Our garden will serve as a living classroom, promoting awareness of the ecological importance of native plants while celebrating the region's cultural heritage. With support from key partners, the project team will identify and select appropriate native plant species as well as provide contextual information about the traditional uses of these plants by various indigenous and other local communities.
Key elements include interpretive signs, mulched pathways, an arbor, and benches. The educational signage will offer insights into the historical significance and contemporary relevance of the garden’s flora, highlighting how the local watershed supports critical ecosystem services. By integrating natural and cultural history, the "Heritage Roots" garden will foster community engagement, support environmental education, and serve as a contemplative space for all visitors to UWF.
Project Name: Evaluating the effectiveness of Living Shorelines for fisheries habitat in Pensacola Bay, Florida
Awardee: University of South Alabama
Amount Awarded: $33,037.81
Living shorelines are promoted for their potential to enhance fish habitat, yet empirical evidence remains limited. This study quantifies fish habitat benefits of high-profile public restorations in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Florida, expanding upon a previous year of underwater video surveys. By comparing fish communities within restored, bare, and hardened shoreline areas, we aim to identify habitat preferences and quantify fish density increases. Recognizing the influence of seasonal and annual factors on fish populations, multi-year monitoring is essential to isolate restoration effects. A public-facing website will be updated to add new findings, including interactive maps and data visualizations. This project seeks to inform future living shoreline designs, foster public support, and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on coastal restoration.
Project Name: The Panhandle Terrapin Project: Education and Monitoring of Diamondback Terrapins
Awardee: Escambia County
Amount Awarded: $16,500.00
Photo Credit: Escambia County
Escambia County is requesting $16,500 to expand program capacity for the Florida Panhandle Terrapin Project in partnership with USGS and Florida Sea Grant offices in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. Grant funds will be used to fill critical data gaps and expand education and outreach efforts for this little-known species.
The Panhandle Terrapin Project is for the monitoring and conservation efforts of the diamondback terrapin. This project consists of monitoring efforts to determine subspecies identification, terrapin movement, nesting locations, and relative abundance. Upon award, the monitoring efforts will be expanded through purchasing of sample supplies, tagging equipment, and more. In addition to monitoring efforts for species conservation, the expansion of education and outreach is needed for the general public to learn about this widely unknown species in our estuaries.
The Panhandle Terrapin Project operates through community science. The monitoring efforts are completed through volunteers trained to identify nesting beaches, collect samples, etc.
Project Name: A Walk in the Watershed
Awardee: Pensacola MESS Hall
Amount Awarded: $10,000.00
The Pensacola MESS Hall will engage elementary school learners through an interactive show at their school followed by hands-on activities in the library and art classes. The show will highlight the life of the estuary and the features of different environments of the estuary. The hands-on activities will be loaned to the host school for two weeks providing an extended opportunity for all of the classes to explore the stations. During visits to approximately 20 schools, we anticipate that we will engage 8,000 to 10,000 students.
Learners will acquire new understanding and appreciation for the diversity of life in estuary environments. The activities will incorporate math, engineering, and science but also highlight how these fields connect with social sciences. Students will learn the importance of habitat restoration and how their decisions can impact the environment.
To ensure that the program meets teachers’ needs, the lessons will be aligned with state standards. By providing the activities for extended exploration in the school media center and art rooms, schools will be better able to schedule time for all students to access the activities, allow the entire school to explore, and give the teachers an opportunity to engage their students in a more controlled environment.
