Thanks to generous funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico Program, the Florida Coastal Management Program, the Garcon Point Restoration Trust Fund, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Ocean's Initiative, the DEP seagrass restoration program has attempted to reduce seagrass degradation and to restore the seagrass beds along the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle. The DEP seagrass restoration program consists of three components: salvage, laboratory tissue culture and aquaculture.
"Nestled into the urban sprawl of Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and Stuart is a quiet and scenic retreat - perfect for viewing manatees, birds, turtles and alligators from a canoe or kayak."
"No wetlands, no seafood. ... Cooperative efforts among all levels of government are critical to restore coastal wetlands. These efforts are called for in the National Estuary Program's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Lagoon."
Ron Brockmeyer,
St. Johns River Water Management District
Salt marshes are protected coastal wetlands that function as a transitional zone from the land to salty/brackish water. Salt marshes are commonly referred to as tidal marshes because they naturally occur in the intertidal (littoral) zone. This area fluctuates with the tides with marsh beds being exposed to the air at low tide and submerged at high tide.
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