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Choctawhatchee Bay encompasses a large estuary along the Florida Panhandle, a watershed that stretches across Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes Counties before extending into Alabama.
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Flooding and storm surges are dangerous threats that became all too real for the entire state of Florida when Hurricane Irma struck on September 10, 2017. Living on the west coast of Florida, I was frantically…
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I sat at a high table at Half Shell Oyster House in Destin, Florida. Christmas music played softly in the background, complemented by fir boughs adorned with red bows on each table. General Manager Stephen…
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In the United States, the news is currently dominated by storm stories, from Hurricane Harvey’s assault on Texas and Louisiana, to the incoming Hurricane Irma heading toward island nations, Puerto Rico,…
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For a few months this winter, my office in Okaloosa County became storage space for ten monofilament recyclers. Wide PVC pipes had been painted with beautiful marine designs — from herons to crabs to mermaids…
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As part of an ongoing project, Erika Zambello is visiting all National Estuarine Research Reserves in the continental United States. Established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),…
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) just reclassified one of Florida’s most iconic endangered wildlife species to “threatened” status. This controversial decision was made despite the fact that…
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In a 2013 article published by American Entomologist, a trio of authors contemplated the importance of macro photography in documenting biodiversity. In their abstract, they summarize: "Digital macrophotography…
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Oysters are bivalve mollusks that provide shelter and food for a variety of organisms, all while improving water clarity and quality through filtration. Oyster reefs formed by aggregations of shells are…
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I disembarked at Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (mercifully abbreviated to GTM NERR) with a group of practitioners, researchers and ecologists from around the world. The group…
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Eglin Air Force Base (Eglin AFB) on the Florida Panhandle does more than fulfill its military mission. In its over 700 square miles of territory, base staff and federal agents oversee the management of…
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For those who bird on the Emerald Coast, Snowy Plovers are a relatively common sight on Okaloosa Island – once you walk away from the more crowded beach access points. Less than seven inches long and lighter…
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