Apalachicola Bay Estuary Exploration
2022-04-15 12:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | FL, United States
Join us to explore the estuary we depend on, Apalachicola Bay and its connected ecosystem. Learn about the habits and creatures that make up our estuary and how the river and bay are intricately linked. We will see these habitats up close aboard the Reserve’s research vessel the Henry Lee. For more info and to register go to https://apalachicolabayestuaryexploration.eventbrite.com

Reserve Wednesday: Below The Waterline - Apalachicola Bay Oysters
2022-04-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Oysters are resilient animals that can weather the ups and downs of a fluctuating tidal estuarine ecosystem, but when stressors stack up, even the mighty oyster can suffer. Historically vibrant and thriving oyster reefs that supported numerous commercial fisheries species swiftly collapsed down to critically low populations in a very short time around 2011-2012. Andy Kane from UF’s Department of Environmental and Global Health has been studying common stressors on oysters in Apalachicola Bay and how multiple stressors came together to create a “perfect storm,” a storm that affected the health of oysters, oyster habitat and The Bay. Join Andy Kane at the Apalachicola NERR on April 20th at 2:00pm for a guided tour of the exhibit “Below The Waterline.” The installation showcases large-frame photographs and other media to visualize what influences life on an oyster reef – below the waterline.
The guided tour and exhibit are free of charge and open to the public, including folks who work the water!

Apalachicola River & Floodplain
2022-04-22 12:30 - 16:00, 2022-05-13 12:30 - 16:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
The Apalachicola River has been called “the Lifeblood of the Bay.” Come learn about the ecology, culture, and history of the Apalachicola River and floodplain, and the impact interstate relationships play in the control of the river. After the in-class portion, we will embark on a journey up the river aboard the ANERR research vessel Henry Lee to get an up-close look at some of the floodplain ecosystems and distributaries of the river. This class is free, however reservations are required. Go to https://apalachicolariverandfloodplain2022.eventbrite.com to register. For more information please contact Anita Grove at (850) 670-7708 Anita.Grove@FloridaDEP.gov

Sci Cafe: Understanding the Impacts of Sea Level Rise in Apalachicola Bay
2022-04-28 15:00 - 16:00 | GoToWebinar, online
Sea levels are rising, leaving coastal communities increasingly vulnerable to inundation, flooding, and storm surge. What factors contribute to sea level rise and how is it affecting our coast? Join us to learn more about how flood risks may change with rising seas in Apalachicola, talk about work already ongoing to address future risk locally, and learn more about what you can do to consider future risk as well. Dr. Renee Collini, Regional Coastal Climate Resilience Specialist with PLACE: Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects Sea Level Rise will walk us through how to think about these issues. Join us for a virtual event! Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5998832509067972876
After registering, you’ll get a confirmation email about joining the event.

Estuaries Day 2022
2022-05-06 13:30 - 18:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Estuaries Day 2022 at the Apalachicola NERR Nature Center
Free Estuaries Day T-shirt for first 600 guests!
Come enjoy the Living Shoreline Exploration, Touch Tanks, Prescribed Fire Activities, Turtle Hurdle Board game, Salt Marsh Bingo, Button Making, Waterfront Race, and the Cast Net Game!
When: Friday, May 6, 1:30 – 5:30 PM ET
Where: 108 Island Drive, Eastpoint, FL
850-670-7700
Free snacks are available, but Mellow Mullet will be on site selling shaved ice!
Enter on Island Drive. Event is family friendly, but children must remain supervised.

Apalachicola Estuary Exploration
2022-05-18 12:30 - 16:00 | FL

Reserve Wednesday: Taking the Temperature of Sea Turtle Nests
2022-05-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
A sea turtle’s eggs depend heavily on the nest’s temperature to develop either into male or female hatchlings. If a nest’s beach is warmer, it will hatch more females than males, so how will climate change affect sea turtle populations? What will that mean for sea turtle conservation efforts? Megan Lamb, a biologist at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, has been conducting a sea turtle nest monitoring program since 2016 as part of the global effort to gain some answers to these questions. On May 18 at 2PM, she will present the results from the past few years and talk about some of the other turtle research going on across the world.

Sci Cafe: Oyster Corps Aquaculture Demonstration Project
2022-05-26 15:00 - 16:00 | GoToWebinar, online
Students with the Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast embarked on a year-long journey last fall to learn about aquaculture first-hand. The students have planted and are tending an oyster aquaculture lease in Apalachicola Bay while documenting the project and sharing their experiences with the community. This project was made possible by a collaboration between the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, Rattlesnake Cover Oyster Company, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Aquaculture, and the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory. OysterCorps students will also talk about their oyster shell recycling project they are managing. To register go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1892608478823511822

Turtle Talk Tuesdays at Apalachicola NERR
2022-06-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-06-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-06-21 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-06-28 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-05 14:00 - 17:00, 2022-07-12 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-19 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-07-26 14:00 - 15:00 and 2 more dates | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Visit the Reserve this summer to learn all about our nesting sea turtles. After a presentation on sea turtle biology, our conservation and monitoring program, and ways local residents and visitors can make the beaches welcoming to nesting turtles, Reserve staff and members of the St. George Island Volunteer Turtle Patrol will be on hand to answer all your turtle questions! This air-conditioned event is a wonderful chance to learn more about sea turtles and is great for anyone visiting the area alone or with family.
This event is expected to reach capacity, we recommend arriving early.

Foraging for Weeds
2022-06-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Botanist Scott Davis will be at the Apalachicola NERR Nature Center talking about edible plants we might find growing in our own back yards.

SciCafe: Apalachicola Bay Systems Initiative Update With Sandra Brooke
2022-07-28 15:00 - 16:00 | FL
Apalachicola Bay’s oyster industry thrived for over a century. In 2012 the fishery collapsed. Several restoration efforts have been implemented, but populations have not recovered. In 2019, Florida State University was awarded funding for the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative (ABSI) by Triumph Gulf Coast with the goal of gaining insight into the causes of the oyster population demise, understand why the system is not recovering, and identify potential pathways to a healthy Bay ecosystem and oyster fishery. Project lead Dr. Sandra Brooke will give an update on the progress of the Initiative, describing what has been done so far, what will occur in the upcoming year, who is involved, and how to stay up to date on the project. To register for the virtual workshop go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7110525628484578317.

Reserve Wednesday: FSU Marine Turtle Research
2022-08-17 14:00 - 15:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Join us at the Apalachicola NERR Nature Center for this month’s ‘Reserve Wednesday’ talk at 2PM on August 17. Ian Silver-Gorges, a PhD student at FSU with Dr. Mariana Fuentes, will be discussing the FSU Marine Turtle Research, Ecology, and Conservation Group’s work, with an emphasis on loggerhead sea turtles found on St. George Island.

Red Tides and Other Harmful Algal Blooms: Understanding HABs in the Apalachicola Estuary
2022-08-25 15:00 - 16:00 | FL
In the fall of 2021, Apalachicola and many other northern Gulf coastal communities experienced a red tide event. Although they’re common in the central Gulf coast of Florida, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are an unusual occurrence in the Apalachicola Estuary. What causes HABs? What effects do they have on marine life, especially oysters and other species we eat? Are there other HABs that we need to be concerned about? Jason Garwood, Research Coordinator at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve will discuss these and many other factors surrounding these events. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3167436138390068751 .

Reserve Wednesday: Diamondback Terrapins
2022-09-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Diamondback terrapins are a brackish water turtle species with an extensive range, inhabiting much of the United States Gulf and Atlantic coasts. U.S. Geological Survey and partners are currently studying diamondback terrapins throughout the Florida panhandle to learn more about the species in an previously understudied portion of their range. Join USGS biologist Dan Catizone at the Apalachicola NERR at 2PM on Wednesday, September 21 for a presentation about what they’ve learned so far.

SciCafe: What Fossils Can Tell Us About Oysters in Apalachicola Bay?
2022-09-22 15:00 - 16:00 | FL
Oyster populations in Apalachicola Bay have changed a lot in recent decades, but how do we know what the oyster reefs looked like prior to modern real-time monitoring? Also, how can we gather additional historical information about the intertidal reefs? Join us as we explore what buried oyster shells can tell us about Apalachicola Bay oyster reefs with Dr. Stephen Durham, a paleontologist and environmental specialist with the Florida Dept of Environmental Protection. To register go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3220076357901137165. You will be sent a link to join once you register.

Oyster Ecology
2022-10-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Learn about the role oysters play in the health of Apalachicola Bay. Discover what makes the bay so ideal for growing oysters, what gives our oysters their distinct flavor, and how oyster bars benefit the ecosystem. We will also look at what possibly made the oysters collapse and what is being done to restore them to Apalachicola Bay. After spending some time in the classroom, participants will get the chance look at its these creatures under a microscope. This class is full of opportunities to learn more about the animals that live in our bay and along the tidal flats. Registration is free, but registering is required. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oyster-ecology-tickets-253366695607

Apalachicola River & Floodplain
2022-10-07 12:30 - 16:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
The Apalachicola River has been called “the Lifeblood of the Bay.” Come learn about the ecology, culture, and history of the Apalachicola River and floodplain, and the impact interstate relationships play in the control of the river. After the in-class portion, we will embark on a journey up the river aboard the ANERR research vessel Henry Lee to get an up-close look at some of the floodplain ecosystems and distributaries of the river. This class is free, however reservations are required. Go to https://apalachicolariverandfloodplain2022.eventbrite.com For more information please contact Anita Grove at (850) 670-7708 Anita.Grove@FloridaDEP.gov

Apalachicola Estuary Exploration
2022-10-14 12:30 - 16:00 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Join us to explore the estuary we depend on, Apalachicola Bay and its connected ecosystem. Learn about the habits and creatures that make up our estuary and how the river and bay are intricately linked. We will see these habitats up close aboard the Reserve’s research vessel the Henry Lee. For more info and to register go to https://apalachicolabayestuaryexploration.eventbrite.com. This class is free, however reservations are required.

SciCafe: River flow and Sea Level Rise Impacts on the Apalachicola Bay Food Web
2022-10-20 15:00 - 16:00 | FL
Changes in river inflow and sea level rise in Apalachicola Bay are likely to occur in the future, but what does this mean for populations of important fishery species as well as the human communities who rely on the estuary? Kira Allen, ANERR’s 2020-22 Margaret A. Davidson Fellow, presents the culmination of her Fellowship research involving a coupled hydrodynamic and food web model and a survey of Apalachicola Bay stakeholders to assess potential future impacts of river flow and sea level rise on the Apalachicola Bay food web. To register go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5935395090125187087 You will be sent a link to join once you are registered.

Bay Friendly Landscaping
2022-10-21 13:00 - 14:30 | Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, 108 Island Dr., Eastpoint, FL, 32328, United States
Yard design and maintenance can have a big effect on adjacent water bodies. Participants in this workshop will learn about resources to help them transform their inefficient yard into a luscious bay conscious landscape. The class will also feature information on innovative Green Infrastructure techniques such as rain gardens, green roofs, and bio-swales. Come find out how to be good to the bay and reduce the time you spend on maintenance! Please register for the class in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-friendly-landscaping-tickets-253339263557
