Since 2015, the FWC and Florida Department of Environmental Protection have received funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to develop the Florida GEBF Restoration Strategy. The primary objective of the strategy is to provide a cohesive vision for planning the remaining GEBF investments in Florida of about $245 million that will address coastal restoration needs for the resources affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The three funding priorities include:

1. Restoring and maintaining the ecological functions of landscape-scale coastal habitats (Panhandle/Big Bend regions)
2. Restoring and maintaining the ecological integrity of priority coastal bays and estuaries (Panhandle/Big Bend regions)
3. Replenishing and protecting living resources (FL Gulf Coast)

It is anticipated that FWC and DEP will finalize and distribute the Strategy in late January 2018, followed by a public webinar in February 2018 to present the document and discuss the GEBF 2018 funding cycle.

For more information on GEBF funding in Florida, updates on the strategy or details on how to view and/or submit projects to the state project portal, please visit the DWH GEBF website. To receive updates and notifications on GEBF public engagement opportunities, please join our GEBF stakeholder email list by emailing the Assistant Gulf Restoration Coordinator at Amy.Raker@MyFWC.com.

The FWC is partnering with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the National Park Service, St. Johns County and the University of Florida on a project funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to aid in the recovery of the Anastasia Island beach mouse. The goal of this project is to develop a recovery strategy over the next year for mouse populations on Anastasia Island severely impacted by Hurricane Matthew. This project will generate the needed information to help achieve USFWS recovery plan goals, such as maintaining viable beach mouse populations and improvement of its habitats, including connectivity.

Project Objectives:

1. Assess occupancy and relative abundance of the Anastasia Island beach mouse within the available beach mouse habitats on Anastasia State Park, Fort Matanzas National Monument and county lands to understand its population status.
2. Evaluate the current distribution and quality of beach mouse habitats, and identify the hurricane’s impacts through assessment of pre-storm land cover data, in order to recommend a habitat restoration strategy.
3. Use project data to produce an Anastasia Island beach mouse restoration strategy consistent with the USFWS’ beach mouse recovery plan, and recommend steps for effective habitat restoration and beach mouse recovery.

Some marine animals can experience negative impacts from the colder waters of winter. In sea turtles, the condition is known as “cold stun” and can render them inactive. They may become trapped in shallow coastal waters, pushed by strong winds or currents onto the shore or into marsh areas, or just float on the water’s surface. Manatees may experience a condition known as “cold stress,” which can result in death. They may succumb rapidly to hypothermia or experience longer lasting effects. External symptoms may include extreme weight loss, skin wounds, and feeding interruption. 

What you can do:

• If you see a cold-stunned sea turtle or sick manatee, please contact the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.
• Be careful when recreating or boating near manatee warm water refuges, as these areas are vital to their survival in times of cold weather. Do not scare or harass them, and follow all guidelines for viewing manatees.
• Consider donating to organizations that rescue cold-stunned sea turtles, either monetarily or by providing items desperately needed such as towels, kiddy pools, space heaters and medical supplies.
• To find out who may have local volunteer opportunities involving cold-stunned sea turtles, contact MarineTurtleVolunteers@MyFWC.com.
• Your purchase of a specialty “Save the Manatee” license plate directly supports manatee rescues and many other important manatee conservation efforts. Similar benefits occur when you purchase the “Helping Sea Turtles Survive” license plate.

1. What is your title? Northwest Regional Shorebird Biologist
2. What organization do you work for? Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
3. What type of work do you do?  I work in shorebird conservation dealing with planning, policy and on the ground restoration efforts with local, state, and federal natural resource management agencies.
4. What project(s) have you recently been working on? Two projects that I’ve recently been working on include: 1) Working with Gulf Island National Seashore as staff there create and address sand management protocols, ensuring the public can enjoy the natural resources of the park without impacting imperiled shorebird habitat. 2) Working with the FWC to develop direction for statewide adaptive predation management plans (strategies that adjust actions based on research and monitoring to minimize impacts of nest predation where there is significant loss) relative to shorebird conservation. 
5. How does your work relate to the CWCI? The panhandle provides critical nesting, wintering and migratory stopover habitat for many species of shorebirds and seabirds. The natural beach areas that the shorebirds nest and forage on coincide with the same coastal areas that so many people come to Florida to enjoy. Understanding the shorebird ecology and the impacts that threaten their population allows us to implement practical management and policy decisions for our growing community of people.
6. How long have you been working in the coastal environment, and what are some lessons you have learned? I’ve been working in the coastal environment with a focus on shorebird conservation for eight years. The biggest lesson that I’ve learned, both professionally and personally, is that we all, including scientists, wildlife managers, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and the public, must be involved in actions to improve matters surrounding conservation biology. It is our responsibility to give future generations the same opportunity to marvel at and benefit from nature as we have today.
7. What do you think is the greatest threat to coastal ecosystems, and what action(s) should be undertaken to address it? Habitat loss and degradation associated with coastal development poses serious threats to these invaluable beach ecosystems. The impacts of coastal development can be drastically reduced through effective planning and land use regulations.
8. What is your favorite coastal animal, and why? Oh boy, asking me my favorite of anything is incredibly difficult, especially if it is going to be about coastal animals. However, if I absolutely had to pick, I would choose the snowy plover. When on the beach, I keep my eyes peeled to get a sighting of this state-threatened bird and I naturally smile when I get a glimpse of one. If you are ever fortunate to watch a week-old chick – a little cotton puff ball on toothpicks - dancing up and down the sandy beaches, you too would claim them as your favorite coastal animal.
9. Do you have a message you would like to share with readers of this newsletter? We only have a fraction of the original coastline left that is not developed and if we continue to lose it, we may be faced with irreparable negative impacts on our currently declining shorebird populations. With today’s technological advances, we have the capability to communicate with people all over the world. We can share ideas, discuss problems, work together and pressure leaders for change more effectively than any other generation. Let’s take this opportunity to make positive change for the planet.

This winter’s “Critter of the Quarter” is the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), a small, migratory shorebird that winters on Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Three populations of piping plovers are recognized: Northern Great Plains, Great Lakes and Atlantic. The Great Lakes population is federally designated as Endangered, while the Atlantic and Northern Great Plains populations are federally designated as Threatened. Individuals from all three populations have been identified as wintering on Florida’s sandy beaches.

Piping plovers are small shorebirds, weighing less than 2 ounces (about 60 grams) and only 6 to 7 inches tall. They are similar in appearance to other plover species, such as the snowy plover and semipalmated plover (see Figure 1), but can be distinguished by their distinctly orange legs. They are in the family Charadriidae, whose members hunt by sight rather than by feel. Piping plovers use a run-and-pause behavior when foraging, and often “tremble” a foot over the surface as if to scare up prey. They feed on small crustaceans, insects, spiders and marine worms. Piping plovers have a high fidelity to their nesting and wintering grounds. Females lay an average of four eggs in a well-camouflaged nest on the ground near foraging areas. Both the female and male adults share the egg incubation and chick-rearing responsibilities. Eggs hatch after 26 to 28 days of incubation, and the mobile, relatively mature chicks leave the nest within a few hours of hatching.

Threats to piping plovers include the loss, modification and degradation of nesting and foraging habitats -- primarily tidal flats, sandbars and beaches. Nest disturbance and predation also are problems for the species. You can help protect piping plovers in Florida by not chasing or flushing birds where they are resting and foraging at the beach. Respect areas of the beach that are posted as closed for the protection of wildlife, including shorebirds. If visiting a beach where dogs are allowed, always keep your dog leashed. Don’t feed gulls or leave trash or food scraps behind on the beach, which can attract predators. Help keep beaches safe for piping plovers and other shorebirds!