Banana River Aquatic Preserve
Situated amidst growing developmental pressure, these beautiful, natural and cultural areas require special attention and protection."
Nassau River-St. Johns River Marshes and Fort Clinch aquatic preserves are in the northeastern part of Florida, along the Atlantic intracoastal waters of the St. Marys, St. Johns and Nassau rivers.
Water quality monitoring has increasingly become an important part of the aquatic preserve’s role in understanding the bay’s natural processes. Monitoring water quality allows researchers to document short-term variability and long-term changes in the status of the bay’s health and facilitates in implementing appropriate protection for waterways. The collected data can be used to gain a better understanding of how water quality is impacted and will help us understand the important role we play in water conservation.
Seagrass communities are considered to be the most productive ecosystems in the world. They are a vital component of Florida’s coastal ecology and economy. Seagrass habitat is an integral part of the St. Andrews Bay system and performs several significant functions.
St. Andrews Aquatic Preserve and the surrounding Panama City Beach area are an increasingly popular tourist destination, especially in the summer months. Sugar white sand beaches, lush seagrass beds and lots of other tourist attractions bring in visitors from near and far. In 2013, St. Andrews State Park was the fourth most visited state park in Florida with 893,102 visitors. Shell Island is an extremely popular beach, swimming and snorkeling destination for visitors and locals alike. St.
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