St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve - Public Use
Aquatic-Preserve Quick links
- Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve
- Apalachicola Bay Aquatic Preserve
- Banana River Aquatic Preserve
- Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve
- Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves
- Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve
- Cape Haze Aquatic Preserve
- Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve
- Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve
- Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve
- Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve
- Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve
- Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve
- Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve
- Indian River-Malabar to Vero Beach Aquatic Preserve
- Indian River-Vero Beach to Fort Pierce Aquatic Preserve
- Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve
- Kristin Jacobs Coral Aquatic Preserve
- Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve
- Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve
- Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve
- Loxahatchee River-Lake Worth Creek Aquatic Preserve
- Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve
- Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve
- Nassau River-St. Johns River Marshes and Fort Clinch Aquatic Preserves
- Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve
- North Fork, St. Lucie Aquatic Preserve
- Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve
- Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve
- Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve
- Pinellas County Aquatic Preserves
- Rainbow Springs Aquatic Preserve
- Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve
- Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve
- St. Andrews Aquatic Preserve
- St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve
- St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve
- Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve
- Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve
- Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve
- Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve
- All Aquatic-Preserve content
St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve encourages sustainable use of natural resources while minimizing user impacts. The preserve provides many opportunities for both recreational and commercial users. Public support and interagency participation are imperative to protecting natural resources. Participation in resource management enables the public to understand the importance of protecting the resource while encouraging recreational and commercial use.
The aquatic preserve works to reduce the amount of debris, contaminants and other resource damages associated with user group activities. This improves habitat, which in turn, improves the user experience for visitors, and it also provides an opportunity for the public to become better informed.
St. Martins Marsh works to promote awareness of proper boating practices, which helps to reduce prop scarring in seagrasses and benthic communities. This includes, but is not limited to, increasing or replacing signage as needed at various boat ramps throughout Citrus County. In addition, the preserve partners with local residents and state and federal agencies to conduct annual marine debris clean-up events.
The preserve also seeks to promote low-impact, sustainable recreational opportunities. This starts with awareness of non-consumptive use opportunities such as paddle boarding, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming and snorkeling. St. Martins Marsh works with other resource management agencies and local vendors to educate users about the unique recreational opportunities in the preserve. This includes providing informational kiosks and educating guides on historical locations, birding and hiking trails, and kayak and canoeing trails (i.e., the Nature Coast Canoe and Kayak Paddling Trail).