St. Joseph Urchin Round Up

Help collect live urchins from St. Joseph Bay in a roundup beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2022. The collected urchins – which destroy seagrasses by overgrazing – will be relocated to deeper water by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Volunteers must register at the Frank Pate City Boat Ramp, located in the heart of Port St. Joe at the intersection of U.S. highways 98 and 71. • BRING YOUR OWN BOAT AND SNORKELING GEAR. Event organizers will provide buckets and gloves. • Check-in begins at 8 a.m. • Upon registration, volunteers will be directed to the rendezvous point, marked by a large, red balloon. • Volunteers will be provided with maps and GPS locations that show where to collect urchins. • Buckets, filled with urchins and seawater, must be returned to the check-in point by 5 p.m. More information: https://MyFWC.com/Research/Habitat/Seagrasses/Projects/ Active/Urchin or StJoeBayUrchins@MyFWC.com or contact DEP's St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve Manager Jon Brucker at Jonathan.Brucker@FloridaDEP.gov.