The WFSU Ecology Blog
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Kayak Scouting Mission on the Ochlockonee Water Trail
Merritt’s Mill Pond | Kayaking and Spring Caves
Kayaking the Apalachicola River with my Four-Year-Old Son
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The WFSU Ecology Blog

  • Home
    • About
    • EcoAdventures
      • Kayak and Canoe Adventures
      • Hiking
      • Wildlife Watching
    • WFSU Public Media Home
  • Documentaries
    • EcoCitizen Show | Seasons in South Tallahassee
    • Red Wolf Family Celebrates First Year at the Tallahassee Museum
    • Roaming the Red Hills
    • Oyster Doctors
    • Testing the Ecology of Fear
    • EcoShakespeare
    • Stories from the Apalachicola
    • Classic WFSU Ecology Documentaries
  • Habitats
    • Estuaries
      • Oyster Reef
        • The Effects of Predators and Fear on Oyster Reefs
        • Apalachicola Oyster Research
        • Animal Species in a North Florida Intertidal Oyster Reef
        • Oyster Reef Ecology | On the Reef
      • Salt Marsh
        • In the Grass- Salt Marsh Biodiversity Study
        • Plants and Animals of a North Florida Salt Marsh
        • Salt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
      • Seagrass Bed
        • Predatory Snails, and Prey, of the Bay Mouth Bar Seagrass Beds
      • In the Grass, On the Reef Glossary
    • Waterways Big and Small
      • Apalachicola Basin
        • Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines | Virtual Field Trip
        • The Age of Nature Screening & Discussion | The Future of the Apalachicola
        • Apalachicola RiverTrek | Kayaking, Camping, & Hiking the River Basin
        • Apalachicola River and Bay
    • Longleaf Pine & Fire Ecology
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      • Backyard Ecology Blog | 2021
    • Backyard Flora and Fauna
      • Bees of North Florida and South Georgia
      • Woody Vines of North Florida
    • Florida Friendly Seasonal Planting Guide
    • Pollinator and Gardening Posts
    • Gardening Web Resources

Estuaries

by Rob Diaz de Villegas March 6, 2017
Estuaries

An explosion of life occurs where north Florida rivers meet the Gulf of Mexico. The Forgotten Coast is dotted with fishing villages that economically rely from healthy estuary ecosystems fed by these freshwater sources. From 2010 through 2014, our In the Grass, On the Reef project explored the salt marshes, seagrass beds, and oyster reefs that shelter about 90% of commercially fished seafood species at some point in their life cycles.

Oyster Reefs | The Ecology of Fear

Nikkie with crown conch (and egg casing), found in Apalachicola Bay.

Dr. David Kimbro and Dr. Randall Hughes studied the effects of fear on the oyster reef ecosystem. Predators such as stone crabs and blue crabs feed on oyster consumers such as mud crabs and oyster drills. The mere presence of a predator is enough to stop the consumers from eating. Likewise, the presence of oyster consumers can keep oysters from eating, which can stunt the growth of an oyster reef.

How do these cascading fear effects play out on a real life oyster reef? How do these effects combine with other factors to determine the health of the habitat?

Explore the animals of a north Florida oyster reef

The Apalachicola Bay Oyster Fishery

Oyster boat on Apalachicola Bay, early morning.

After months of record low flows on the Apalachicola River, one of our countries most productive oyster fisheries collapsed.  David Kimbro and his lab investigated the causes of the crash.  Low river flows cause saltier water in the bay, causing an increase in the breeding of oyster predators such as oyster drills and crown conchs.  Was this predator explosion the sole cause of the fishery problems, or did they combine with other factors.

We recently revisited the Apalachicola Bay estuary for a look at its slow road to recovery.

Salt Marsh | Biodiversity In the Grass

While we don’t eat marsh grass, the ecosystem is equally important to commercial fisheries as oyster reefs. Dr. Randall Hughes researched the effect of biodiversity on the health of this habitat.

A single genetic individual of the dominant marsh plant, smooth cordgrass (Spartina alternifora), can cover a lot of ground in the marsh. But is the habitat more successful with a higher diversity of individuals? Additionally, how does the diversity of plant and animal species benefit the marsh?

Explore the plants and animals of a north Florida salt marsh

Seagrass Beds

Dr. Kimbro extended his research into predator fear to the seagrass beds of Bay Mouth Bar. This small sand bar off of Alligator Point is exposed during monthly full moon low tides, revealing a great diversity of predatory snails. Here, legendary ecologist Dr. Robert Paine started to form his ideas on keystone species, observing changes in predator/ prey dynamics when the top predator, the horse conch, left the reef in the winter. Since the 1950s, the true tulip, another top predator, has disappeared from this system. David’s graduate student, Tanya Rogers, examines the effect this might have had on predators, prey, and even the seagrass itself.

In the clear waters of St. Joseph Bay, D. Hughes and visiting professor Dr. Peter MacReadie tell us about the incredible ability for seagrasses to store carbon.

Explore the grasses, bivalves, and many predatory snails of Bay Mouth Bar

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New Backyard Blog: November/ December 2020

True bug nymph on mistletoe.

True bug nymph on mistletoe.

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iNaturalist

iNaturalist became a part of the WFSU Ecology Blog during the EcoCitizen Project in 2019.  Since then, we’ve used it to help identify the many plants and animals we see on our shoots.  And on the Backyard Blog, we show how it can be used to identify weeds and garden insects, to help figure out what’s beneficial or a possible pest.  Below is the iNaturalist profile belonging to WFSU Ecology producer Rob Diaz de Villegas.

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