September 2012

Seagrass beds are productive ecosystems. Not only are they nurseries for commercially important seafood species, they’re efficient at storing carbon.

Every acre of salt marsh provides thousands of dollars of services to humankind. On this week’s video, Dr. Randall Hughes explores the surprising value of the marsh, a dynamic habitat that despite its external appearance, teems with fascinating creatures.

Oysters on the half shell are delicious, but oysters do a lot of good sitting on the reef as well. In this week’s video and in his post, FSU Coastal & Marine Lab’s Dr. David Kimbro explores the many ways in which the bivalves benefit us.

In the Grass, On the Reef will be covering this year’s Rivertrek fundraiser to benefit the Apalachicola Riverkeeper. Before embarking on the 107 mile journey, producer Rob Diaz de Villegas joined some of his fellow paddlers on a tuneup excursion. The reason he’s going? Salt.