As the weather starts to warm up for spring, many people begin visiting the beach, and some bring their dogs with them. Although dogs are allowed on some beaches, it is important to be aware that many beaches do not allow dogs, such as those at State Parks or within designated Critical Wildlife Areas.  It is also important to consider the wildlife that live and raise their young on Florida beaches—wildlife that may not be compatible with the presence of dogs. Shorebird and sea turtle nests and young can be impacted by dogs on the beach – even leashed dogs can affect wildlife simply by their presence.  The best way to protect wildlife is to leave your dog at home when you go to the beach. If pet owners do bring dogs to beaches where that is allowed, they should still be mindful of wildlife and follow all rules about leashing their dogs and picking up waste.

The CWCI recently completed a new Dogs on the Beach brochure in response to an expressed need from partners to have outreach materials to share when they talk to people about dogs on beaches. The CWCI is excited about the roll-out of this new brochure and hopes that it will be a useful tool to help prevent wildlife disturbance by dogs. For more information or to request brochures, please contact the CWCI Coordinator, Fara Ilami, at fara.ilami@myfwc.com. If you see dogs disturbing sensitive wildlife, report it to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922), #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone, or by texting Tip@MyFWC.com.

St. Andrew Bay is exceptional among Gulf Coast estuaries for its biological diversity and clear, high-salinity waters in which seagrasses flourish. Over 200 acres of seagrass habitat were lost during the 1970s, reducing the ability of the system to support productive fisheries and wildlife species. The recent elimination of several adverse practices created conditions more favorable for estuarine habitat enhancement efforts. With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation-Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund and the FWC-Marine Resources Trust Fund, the FWC’s Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Restoration Program (Marine/Estuarine Subsection) has set out to restore and enhance important seagrass and oyster habitat in St. Andrew Bay.

Project Objectives:

Enhance St. Andrew Bay’s oyster populations and reefs to:

• Enhance fisheries and wildlife habitat
• Absorb wave energy and provide shoreline protection
• Improve water quality
• Create conditions more suitable for seagrass recruitment
• Test new oyster restoration techniques that could be used in other similar efforts

The FWC and partners have installed over four acres of oyster reef habitat along the western shoreline of West Bay (one of four hydrologically connected bays in the St. Andrew Bay estuary) in two phases over a two-year period. Many volunteers also helped. Sixty-seven individual oyster reefs now stretch over two miles from north to south in about five feet of water. Most reefs consist of an outer wall of biodegradable coconut fiber oyster shell bags and a center filled with roughly one to two feet of clean, recycled oyster shell. Reefs were constructed during the fall, when oyster abundance in the plankton was high and oysters were likely to settle on shell material. Settled oysters grew rapidly and “glued” the loose shell together to make solid reef structures. The restored oyster reefs mimic natural reef shapes, with gaps between reefs allowing for natural water flow.

Adult oysters filter approximately 50 gallons of water a day, and there are an estimated 20 million oysters currently growing on these reefs. That oyster population filters a total of one billion gallons of water every day, helping to improve the clarity and quality of West Bay waters. A total of 31 different species of fish and invertebrates, including pinfish and gray snapper, and blue and stone crabs, have been recorded on the reefs. Oyster reefs are the “condominiums of the sea” providing nursery habitat for dozens of estuarine species. One acre of oyster reef has been shown to increase fisheries catch values by over $4,000 annually. These reef structures also help to break up wave energies, reducing sediment movement and providing shoreline protection during storm events.

The FWC plans to continue this project with two additional phases. Phase III will consist of twelve more oyster reefs expected to be deployed during the fall of 2018. The design of Phase III reefs differs slightly from those constructed during Phases I and II, based on lessons learned during project implementation. Each reef will have a base and perimeter wall of lime rock boulders, and the center will be capped off with loose shell material. Phase IV consists of transplanting seagrass to the project site in 2019. Project monitoring data shows that seagrass currently present at the site has grown and expanded since the start of the project. Phase IV seagrass transplants are expected to accelerate the process of seagrass recovery to historic levels. FWC staff has also determined that water quality and light conditions in West Bay are now able to support seagrass growth up to one meter of water depth.

This project could not have been completed without the support of the following project partners as well as hundreds of valued volunteers:

• St. Andrew Bay Watch
• UF-IFAS Sea Grant
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Panama City Marine Institute

For more information about this project, please contact Jacob.Berninger@MyFWC.com or Katie.Konchar@MyFWC.com.

Sea turtle season for leatherbacks has started in many areas of the state (Broward through Brevard Counties), and nesting season for loggerhead turtles will be starting in May for the rest of the sandy beaches of the state. If you visit or live near the beach, make sure your lights are not causing nesting turtles and their hatchlings to become disoriented. This can cause them to expend too much energy wandering to find the ocean, risking exhaustion, dehydration and death.

What you can do:

• Outside your home: Turn off, reposition or shield lights to make sure that no light is visible from any part of the beach. Replace incandescent, fluorescent and high intensity lighting with the lowest wattage lights that emit light with a wavelength greater than 560 nm. The best technology available for sea turtle friendly lighting is a red or amber LED. Use shielded motion detector lights and set them on the shortest time setting. Plant or improve vegetation buffers (such as sea grapes and other native beach vegetation) between any light source and the beach.

• Inside your home: Move light fixtures away from windows, apply window tint to your windows that meets the 45% inside to outside transmittance standards for tinted glass (you'll save on air conditioning costs too!), or use window treatments (blinds, curtains) to shield interior lights from the beach.

• Walking on the beach: Do not use flashlights, cell phones, flash photography or other devices that emit light on the beach at night. It is better to stay off the beach at night to avoid disrupting nesting, unless you are on a public sea turtle walk permitted by FWC. If you must go to the beach at night, use only red long wavelength light to access the beach safely, then enjoy the night sky without artificial light. If you happen to see a nesting turtle, stay at a distance where she cannot see you.

For more information on sea turtles and lighting please visit the FWC website:  http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/sea-turtles/lighting/

What is your title? I’m a Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist III with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Specifically, I work in the marine turtle program of the Imperiled Species Management section.

 What type of work do you do? I review lighting plans for Costal Construction Control Line (CCCL) and Environmental Resource Permits (ERP) issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). I provide comments and recommendations to FDEP to ensure that construction and buildings along Florida beaches have sea turtle friendly lighting to reduce disorientation of nesting females and hatchlings during the sea turtle nesting season. I also perform lighting workshops where I educate the public on what it means to have sea turtle friendly lighting. And I provide technical assistance for those who may live on the coast and want to add light fixtures to their homes. Lastly, I am on call to rescue sea turtles during cold stun events, which is when the waters get too cold for sea turtles to swim and they float listlessly in the water. When this happens, they could potentially drown or fall victim to predators.

What project(s) have you recently been working on? I’ve been reviewing many different permit applications for FDEP. However, what I’m most excited about is attending a lighting workshop on March 21 in Fort Walton. My coworker will be leading this workshop, but soon I will oversee lighting workshops in the panhandle, which I’m very excited to be a part of! Also, I’m planning to attend the 11th Annual FWC Outdoor Experience at Beau Turner Youth Conservation Center on April 28. I will be organizing a table where I will educate the public about sea turtle biology, ecology and sea turtle friendly lighting. Come meet me there!

How does your work relate to the CWCI? My work relates to CWCI because I work to conserve coastal areas and endangered and threatened turtles by reducing artificial light pollution. Artificial light pollution is a risk to both nesting females and hatchlings because it can cause disorientation in which they are unable to find their way to the ocean. When this occurs, hatchlings expend too much energy wandering to find the ocean, risking exhaustion, dehydration and death. When nesting females become disoriented, they too can risk exhaustion and dehydration. Sadly, it has been documented that nesting females have been known to cross roads in times of disorientation and have been hit by oncoming vehicles. When I review lighting plans, I encourage properties to have turtle friendly lighting, which is to have low mounted, downward directed, long-wavelength lighting (true amber/red light), which is less of a disorienting attractant to sea turtles than white light.

How long have you been working in the coastal environment, and what are some lessons you have learned? I’ve only been working in coastal environments since October 2017 when I became employed by the FWC. However, I’ve grew up on the beaches of Long Island, N.Y. and have always had a passion for the complexity of coastal systems and the wildlife that live there. Coastal systems are so critically important for not only the animals that live there, but for the social, economic and biological values they provide to humans! It is essential we work to protect these environments. I think the main lesson that I have learned is to never give up and always count your little successes. Any progress to protect these environments, even slow, is still progress and steps in the right direction!

What do you think is the greatest threat to coastal ecosystems, and what action(s) should be undertaken to address it? I think the greatest threat to coastal ecosystems is loss of habitat. According to IUCN’s Red List, habitat loss is the main threat to 85 percent of all endangered and threatened species. Therefore, habitat loss is a threat to biodiversity. Humans are deeply dependent on other species, and if species continue to go extinct due to habitat loss, this will only be detrimental to us.

What is your favorite coastal animal, and why? My favorite coastal animal would be great white sharks. Great white sharks utilize both coastal systems and deep oceans. They amaze me with their power, size and intelligence!

Do you have a message you would like to share with readers of this newsletter? It can be overwhelming when thinking about all the threats that wildlife and our planet face, which make it difficult to know where to start. However, my answer is, start small! Start with the little, simple things you can change in your daily life. Maybe walk to work a couple of times a week, start to recycle, eat less meat or use less plastic items. These little changes, over time, can make a big difference! When making small amendments in our own lives and encouraging others to do the same, a snowball effect occurs that can bring change to neighborhoods, cities and even countries! Any contribution, no matter how small, can help protect our planet!

What could be more relaxing than a day at the beach? Sun, sand, surf, and … snakes! Yes, there are several species of serpents that utilize coastal habitats associated with Florida’s beaches. Most of these snakes are harmless and are seldom observed by beach goers. However, two species are venomous and should be given a wide berth if observed.

The coastal dunes crowned snake is a small, secretive animal, usually no longer than 7 to 8 inches. This species can be found in coastal strand and scrub habitats from Cape Canaveral in Brevard County southward to Palm Beach County. A whitish band separates its dark head from its reddish-brown body. Another diagnostic character is the lower jaw counter sunk into the upper jaw. This is an adaptation to a burrowing life style.

The black racer is one of the more common snakes in Florida and can be found in many coastal habitats. These large (36-60 inches long), shiny black snakes are often seen actively foraging for their prey, which includes frogs, toads, lizards, small snakes, birds and their eggs, and rodents.

Eastern coachwhips are large (50-72 inches long), active snakes often seen foraging with their heads elevated above the ground. This snake feeds on a wide variety of prey items, including small mammals, birds and their eggs, lizards, and other snakes. Coachwhips have also been observed on the beach eating sea turtle hatchlings (see photo), and they also eat hatchling gopher tortoises. Coastal dunes, strand and scrub are primary coastal habitats used by this species. This snake gets its name from its similarity to riding whips from the past, a long slender body with a dark fore region grading to lighter shades of tan coloration.

The Florida cottonmouth is a ubiquitous denizen of freshwater bodies throughout the state. The small interdunal wetland swales are no exception, where cottonmouths can be found in high densities. Cottonmouths are large-bodied snakes commonly reaching three to four feet long. Florida folklore depicts the cottonmouth as an extremely aggressive snake that will chase the person unfortunate enough to stumble across it. This belief may have its genesis in the fact that cottonmouths will often stand their ground while vibrating their tail and gaping widely, exhibiting the cottony white interior of the mouth. This behavior has led to the snake’s common name. Cottonmouths are reluctant to bite, unless provoked.

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in North America. Anyone who has heard the warning rattle of an adult eastern diamondback will not soon forget the encounter. This awe-inspiring snake can be found in many coastal habitats in Florida. This large snake, which has a characteristic diamond pattern along its back, is a good swimmer and is frequently found on coastal barrier islands. Diamondbacks feed primarily on mammals but have also been observed preying on bird species. Biologists have observed diamondbacks preying on migratory song birds on barrier islands in the Florida panhandle.

Each year millions of visitors and state residents recreate in Florida’ diverse ecosystems. Even with the huge number of hours spent outside, very few snake bites occur annually in Florida. When visiting habitats that may contain snakes, it is important to be alert to your surroundings and be mindful of where you place your hands and feet. If you see a snake, just walk around it. By following these simple rules, you can remain safe and—who knows—maybe have the opportunity to observe a snake being a snake in the wild!