The beaches of northwest Florida provide excellent habitat for nesting sea turtles. The barrier island beaches in the Apalachicola area support some of the densest concentrations of nesting loggerhead sea turtles in northwest Florida. The loggerhead is the most common turtle to nest in this area. There have been occasional reports of green sea turtles nesting on northwest Florida beaches and even rarer occurrences of leatherback nests.
Historically, Apalachicola Bay has been a nursery habitat for several commercially and recreationally important fish and invertebrate species. Recently, concerns over the reallocation of upstream waters from the Apalachicola River have led scientists to evaluate the biomass and abundance of various plant, invertebrate and vertebrate species from within the river, bay and surrounding lands. This study, begun in July 2000, attempts to recreate a trawling program during the 1970s. The goals are to:
The Effects of Salinity on the Bay
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) has developed research priorities based on specific threats that currently confront ANERR and the Apalachicola River and Bay system. The two main threats to the bay system are the upstream diversion of fresh water and increasing local coastal development and land use changes. Developing a research plan for the ANERR represents an especially daunting task due to the size of the Apalachicola River and Bay as well as the diversity of species and habitats present.
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