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 The Commission will meet this Wednesday and Thursday this week, Oct. 4 and 5, in Jensen Beach. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. ET each day and is open to the public. Those who cannot attend can follow coverage at Twitter.com/MyFWC (@MyFWC) or watch live video coverage at TheFloridaChannel.org.
View the full Oct. 4-5 agenda and links to background reports.
 In 2018, Hurricane Michael depleted more than 90% of the shoal bass population in the Chipola River. As a direct management action following the hurricane, the FWC passed an Executive Order that suspended the harvest and possession of shoal bass. In 2019, FWC staff recommended this regulation be adopted into rule to support ongoing conservation efforts for this species.
Freshwater biologists from FWRI and FFM recently surveyed the Chipola River to assess the contribution of 7,800 hatchery raised shoal bass stocked earlier this year in May. The Chipola River is the only waterbody in Florida with a known naturally reproducing shoal bass population.
Blackwater Research and Development Center has produced shoal bass fingerlings for enhancements stocking of the wild population for the past two years. In May of 2022, 3,300 shoal bass fingerlings were released into the Chipola River.
 Biologists collected fin clips from the 206 shoal bass that were caught, measured and released during the survey. Seventy of those were Age-0 fish and 62 were Age-1 fish. FWRI geneticists will use the fin clips for genetic analysis to evaluate the contribution of hatchery raised shoal bass to the 2023 wild population. In addition, 177 fin clips will be used to estimate the population's genetic diversity to see if genetic diversity has increased in the shoal bass population since Hurricane Michael.
 The 2023 Florida Python Challenge® ended in August, garnering the attention of participants across the country and even Europe! The 10-day event took place from August 4-13 across seven public land areas in south Florida, raising awareness about invasive species and their negative impacts on Florida’s native ecosystems by engaging the public through active conservation.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the state, threatening the native wildlife that call this ecosystem home. The python’s lack of natural predators and ability to produce many offspring (sometimes over 100 eggs) have fueled the establishment of this species in Florida since their first appearance in the late 1970s. To raise awareness about this issue, the FWC partners with the South Florida Water Management District and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to host the Florida Python Challenge®.
 FWC staff across multiple teams, divisions and offices work together with partners to make this event a success. This year, the challenge recorded 1,050 participants from 35 different states and Belgium. Overall, the event resulted in the removal of 209 pythons. The award ceremony was held at the scenic Long Key Nature Center in Davie on Sept. 15 with awards being handed out by Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez. Paul Hobbs won the ultimate grand prize of $10,000 by removing an incredible 20 pythons while the runner-up, Ronald Kiger, won $7,500 with 14 pythons removed.
 Have you ever caught a tagged bass? The practice of tagging fish for anglers to later catch is a mainstay in the fisheries biologists' toolbox that helps them measure critical factors of a fishery. The process begins with biologists tagging fish and releasing them back into the wild. Later, as anglers catch these fish, they report each catch of a tagged fish via the telephone number printed on the tag. From many results of tagged fish that are caught, biologists are then able to answer some pretty fascinating questions. What percentage of Florida's trophy bass are caught by anglers like you each year? What should you do if you catch a tagged bass? To find out, and learn some other interesting facts gleaned from tagged bass, just check out the Trophy Bass Tagging article now!
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 A memorial service honoring the life and legacy of former Florida Marine Research Institute Director and Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Karen Steidinger was held on Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. Guests shared memories of their personal relationships with Karen and reflected on the influence Karen had on the agency and on the scientific community. As one of the early division directors, Karen was instrumental in developing the Institute into what it is today; and as a scientist, Karen was a pioneer in the field of harmful algal bloom research, particularly related to the Florida red tide organism (Karenia brevis), which was named in her honor in 2001. She was an inspiration and a mentor to countless colleagues, throughout her more than 60-year career and her evolution from a groundbreaking scientist to a world-class researcher. Karen’s passing is a tremendous loss but her laughter and legacy will forever echo throughout FWRI and her impact on the HAB scientific community will be felt for generations to come.
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 During hurricanes and other events that cause unusually high-water levels, it’s possible for manatees to gain access to new areas by swimming over spillways, through culverts or around other fixed obstacles. When the water recedes to normal levels, manatees in these new areas can become entrapped and require capture and relocation to resolve the issue. Over the past few weeks, FWRI’s manatee rescue team and partners have been hard at work rescuing numerous manatees that became entrapped after Hurricane Idalia passed by Florida’s west coast:
Rescue Roundup:
- Five manatees entrapped in Whiskey Creek, a residential canal system in Fort Myers, were rescued, transported and released at a boat ramp into the Caloosahatchee River.
- Two manatees, a mom-calf pair, entrapped behind a spillway in Cape Coral were rescued, transported and released at a boat ramp into the Caloosahatchee River.
- One manatee entrapped in a cemetery pond in Largo was rescued, transported and released at a boat ramp into Clearwater Harbor.
Why can’t manatees survive in landlocked ponds and closed water systems?
Two big reasons:
- Food - Manatees are big eaters and usually spend up to eight hours of their day grazing on seagrasses and other aquatic plants that are limited or unavailable in closed systems.
- Warm Water - During winter months, warm water outputs are vital for manatee survival. Without warm water (water above 68 degrees Fahrenheit), manatees will become sick and can die. Closed systems block manatees from getting to their winter warm water sites.
 In a recent study, FWRI researchers quantified and compared the presence of melanin in tissue samples of leucistic (partial or complete lack of pigment in the skin, but pigment in the iris is present) and fully pigmented blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) and evaluated the histological differences. Tissue samples were collected from 10 sites on each specimen and examined microscopically to compare the presence of melanin. The results support lack of melanin to be responsible for leucistic coloration. The leucistic shark (collected in 2014) used in this study is housed within the FWRI’s Florida Biodiversity Collection. The collection is a valuable resource for scientists who can use these specimens as guides for ID, sources for research material or for educational exhibits. Access this full publication.
 The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail held nominations for new sites between October 2022 and February 2023. The best applicants were chosen for their unique wildlife viewing and ecological significance, educational opportunities, access for the public and resilience to resilience to recreational use. Successful applicants ranged from large nature preserves to beloved community parks. The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is excited to welcome the following new sites:
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Alachua County: Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville is a well-known hotspot frequented by rare birds and home to iconic Florida species.
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Indian River County: Oyster Bar Marsh Conservation Area in Vero Beach is a newly-opened site adjacent to Round Island Riverside Park and Conservation Area, extending the area available to birders looking to explore Indian River Lagoon.
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Leon County: Lafayette Heritage Trail Park in Tallahassee is part of an extensive trail network connecting Tom Brown Park to the west, L. Kirk Edwards Wildlife Management Area to the east and the J.R. Alford Greenway to the north, creating a valuable and extensive habitat for birds and other wildlife in an otherwise urban area.
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Manatee County: At the mouth of the Manatee River, Robinson Preserve in Bradenton is a popular recreation area where more than 200 bird species have been recorded.
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Marion County: Ocala Wetland Recharge Park is a constructed wetland that recharges the Upper Florida Aquifer. Birders and wildlife viewers will enjoy its diverse wildlife, easy walking paths and many educational displays.
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Palm Beach County: This county has six new sites. The Bureau of Land Management’s Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area offers excellent year-round birding and wildlife viewing at the confluence of the Indian River Lagoon and the Loxahatchee River. Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management manages the remaining sites; Cypress Creek Natural Area, North Jupiter Flatwoods, Pine Glades Natural Area in Jupiter, Winding Waters Natural Area in West Palm Beach and Yamato Scrub Natural Area in Boca Raton. These sites showcase a range of habitats (including cypress swamps, freshwater marshes, wet prairies, uplands and scrub) where visitors can experience south Florida’s abundant birdlife and wildlife.
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Polk County: The Nature Conservancy’s Tiger Creek Preserve in Lake Wales harbors rare plants and animals found only in Central Florida. Over ten miles of hiking trails let visitors venture safely into this remote wilderness.
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Saint Johns County: Named for a prominent civil rights activist, Dr. Robert B. Hayling Freedom Park in St. Augustine is a favorite with its local Audubon society. This small park on the tip of a peninsula overlooks an expansive salt marsh and the many birds that live there.
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Santa Rosa County: Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area is perfect for those seeking an outdoor experience off the beaten path. Fall and spring migration are the best times to go birding at this coastal site.
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 Green turtles and loggerheads continue to build on a record-breaking year for nests, according to preliminary counts!
The preliminary statewide totals as of Aug. 31 are as follows:
- 133,414 loggerheads nests (previous annual record was 122,707 in 2016).
- 74,308 green turtle nests (previous annual record was 53,102 in 2017).
- 1,748 leatherback nests.
- 10 confirmed Kemp’s ridleys nests.
Leatherback and loggerhead nesting season has essentially concluded for the year but green turtles will continue to nest to some extent in September. How did sea turtle nests fare during Hurricane Idalia? FWRI researchers are currently collecting information on the effect that the storm had on active nests but, fortunately, sea turtles have a nesting strategy that accommodates for such natural events. Each female lays several nests throughout the nesting season, hedging her bets to make sure that even if a storm hits at some point, there is a high probability at least a few of the nests will incubate successfully. In addition, we have reports that turtles continued to nest in several areas around the state following the storm.
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 FWRI’s Finfish Research Team in the Florida Keys have partnered with Dry Tortugas National Park to study hogfish in the Parks’ Research Natural Area. This area has been protected since 2007 and is the closest our scientists can get to studying an unfished population in south Florida. Studying this fish in this area will allow our team to establish a baseline for hogfish movement and food web interactions without the effects of fishing pressure, ensuring that we are able to provide the best data for management of the hogfish fishery.
Learn about FWRI’s hogfish telemetry research in this short video.
 This spring FWC kicked off the first-ever white-tailed deer fawn survival study in Florida! This research is part of the 5-year North Florida Deer Study that began in 2020. The project involves capturing adult does in winter and fitting them with GPS collars and devices that alert the researchers when the doe gives birth. As fawns are born in the spring, they are fitted with collars that allow researchers to monitor fawn survival. These collars expand as the fawn grows and eventually drop off around 1 year of age.
Unlike historical fawn survival studies that required researchers to intensively monitor the deer in the field around the clock, this study uses new technology that takes advantage of satellite communication. Mom’s collar communicates directly with both the birth-alert device and the fawn collar, while also communicating with the researchers through satellite! This way events such as birth or fawn mortality are immediately relayed to the researchers, allowing for quick response.
Learn more about the North Florida Deer Study.
 Female fish spawn millions of tiny eggs during their lifetimes but only a few of those eggs survive to become breeders themselves. For the past two decades, most scientists believed that "reproductive success" in marine organisms was largely controlled by random environmental processes such as wind, currents, predators, etc. This belief led to a popular concept known as the "Sweepstakes Reproductive Success" hypothesis. However, in a series of research articles, some of our researchers and their colleagues are challenging this concept. Instead, they believe that fishes have evolved highly complex and finely tuned reproductive traits and behaviors that facilitate reproductive success over individual lifetimes and promote population-level resiliency to environmental fluctuations and other random forces.
FWRI scientists have been studying red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) spawning population abundance and reproductive resilience for the past decade using a multi-disciplinary approach that integrated non-lethal biological and genetic sampling of more than 12,000 fish with acoustic telemetry and aerial surveys. In a new article, researchers show that the reproductive dynamics of red drum and two other marine fishes do not fit the "sweepstakes" hypothesis. Instead, they are highly consistent with the new concept, which we call the "Reproductive Resilience Paradigm."
Access this new publication.
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 FWC’s Catch a Florida Memory announces the winner of Triple Threat Throwdown
Skyway Fishing Pier educational course and certificate now available online
Governor Ron DeSantis issues proclamation for National Hunting and Fishing Day in Florida
FWC to meet Oct. 4 and 5 in Jensen Beach
FWC to anglers: Remember these TrophyCatch dates to win!
 Citizens and FWC customers were so impressed by the following employees, they told us about it through email on the "Praise an Employee" page of MyFWC.com/Contact. When your coworkers receive kudos, help share the good news by contacting Kelly.Broderick@MyFWC.com.
Officer Tristan Hartzog
In July of 2022, I was fishing with a friend on Three Bridges in Wakulla County when we had the pleasure of meeting one of your young officers. Officer Tristan Hartzog stopped on the bridge and made contact with us. He checked our fishing license and our fish. He told us who he was and that he was on his way to some training in Franklin County. While it was clear that this young man was in charge and doing his job, he was so professional and courteous. Officer Hartzog was about to leave but I had to ask him how old he was. If I remember correctly, he said he was 20 or 21. I said young man, it was a pleasure to meet you. I went on to tell him that if he kept the attitude that he has and conducted himself this way thought his career, he would have longevity in law enforcement. Officer Hartzog gave me one of his business cards and told me that if I ever had any questions or needed anything to call him. I told him thank you and to be safe. Sorry for the delay in sending this letter but I misplaced Officer Hartzog’s business card and just recently found it. The FWC should be so proud of this young man. I think that he is the epitome of what a Law Enforcement Officer should be and should be recognized for it.
 Congratulations to the following employees for reaching 5-year milestones of employment with the FWC.
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30 Years
Jimmy Conner, HSC
Bob Heagey, FWRI
25 Years
Rosa Guthrie, HSC
20 Years
Yasu Kiryu, FWRI
Scott Lee, LE
15 Years
James Bonds, LE
Racquel Daniels, LE
Michael Davis, LE
Thomas Enos, LE
Joshua Greenier, LE
Evan Laskowski, LE
Quilla Miralia, Legal
Christopher Pettey, LE
Henry Rockwell, LE
John Torres, LE
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10 Years
Scott Cooney, HSC
Bryant Hughes, LE
5 Years
Holli Nichols, HGM
Katherine Richardson, HSC
Retired!
Thomas O’Neil, HSC, 25 years & 5 months
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(The FWC has a great many non-FTE employees, and they deserve recognition for reaching 5-year milestones too. Unfortunately, the system doesn't keep track of such statistics; but we don't want that to stop us. If you know of a non-FTE employee about to reach a 5-year milestone, please notify the Inside Job by email.) |
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FWC employees have some of the most interesting jobs ever! Here are some of our employees doing what they do best. Send your photos of FWC employees in the office and in the field to Kelly.Broderick@MyFWC.com.
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 As part of the Executive Leadership's effort to get out to the regions and hear from staff in the field, Deputy Chief of Staff Sarah Barrett visited the Northcentral Region at the end of August. Regional Director Chris Wynn and Captain Rama Shuster coordinated a visit to the Crystal River LE Office and the FWRI Crystal River Field Lab. After lunch with staff, Captain Shuster provided an airboat tour of the area, highlighting some of the ecological hot topics in the area, like water quality, derelict vessels and oyster industry challenges.
 FWRI Biological Scientist Trevor Kirkland met up with staff to provide a firsthand look at some of the challenges concerning the local oyster population and gave an update on research findings from the Oyster Monitoring Program.
 Since a large data gap existed in this area, staff had to use satellite imagery from the 1990s and 2000s as the basis for comparison of healthy reefs. From the imagery, staff observed that 20% of the reefs no longer existed or showed a prevalent decline in oyster habitats.
 Trevor and Captain Shuster discussed how oystermen in the Suwannee Sound region historically relied on offshore bars as part of their crop. Today, almost all offshore bars are void of legal harvestable oysters in the sound. As the sea levels continue to rise, staff predict oysters will continue to push further inshore into creeks and "closed to harvest" waters.
 Oysters in this region are facing survivorship difficulties, yet the oyster management of harvestable limits has not changed.
However, there is hope. The Suwannee Sound region is an ecological hotspot supported by oyster reefs. We can help these oyster reefs return to sustainable, abundant, and healthy numbers with proper conservation and management.
 Sarah is grateful to everyone for making themselves available and their willingness to share with her what is working and what could use improvement!
 On Saturday, Sept. 16, a Polk County 4-H club visited the Tenoroc Youth Conservation Center for a fishing event. Keaton Fish, the FYCCN regional coordinator met the group at Picnic Lake to help them set up, provide fishing equipment and give an introduction to the families who were in attendance. Their fishing day included hands-on education, family bonding and freshwater fishing at Picnic Lake. This activity supports our ethical angling pillar and creating the next generation that cares.
   FWRI’s Marine Fisheries Enhancement Center biologists Matt Corriveau and Shawn Coyle invited Suncoast Youth Conservation Center educators Faye Johnston, Alexx Bishop and Jacqueline VanEyk along for a field sampling day. Along with MOTE staff members Nate and Paula and intern Frank, the group seined 10 sites as part of a project collecting biodiversity data from urban canals. This will be the target of a future, largescale restoration project spearheaded by Sarasota County. For the SYCC crew, it was amazing to work alongside the biologists and get some firsthand field experience. SYCC offers a seining-based field trip lesson to students and the similarities between what the students do at the Suncoast and what the field biologists do in their careers was gratifying to see. The lessons learned from this amazing field day will certainly be included into future education at the Suncoast!
   
 Officers Elizabeth Brown and Garrett Jacobs discuss regulations and hand out education materials.
On Sept. 16, FWC staff attended an Outdoors Expo hosted by Citrus County Parks and Recreation. The event was held at the Citrus County Community Center in Citrus Springs. Attendees were greeted by more than 20 exhibitors representing non-profit institutions and government agencies — all with interactive and informational activities or booths. Parks and Recreation staff did a great job coordinating the event with numerous games, professional presentations and food vendors in addition to booth displays. FWC was represented by both FYCCN and LE staff, with the latter also providing a special question and answer session with attendees later in the afternoon. Attendees were treated to regulations discussion and educational materials from officers, and handouts, including Fishing Florida, freshwater fish posters and Take Me Fishing stock cards, were provided by FYCCN. Citrus County Parks and Recreation continues to be a great FYCCN partner with their sustained success reaching youth with partner programming year after year. All in all, this was a successful first-time event, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration into the future!
FYCCN staff member Beau Yeiser discusses types of fishing rigs and fish identification with youth.
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The deadline for the Oct. 16 issue is Oct. 9
The Inside Job is a bi-monthly newsletter featuring
the employees and programs of the FWC.
Send your submissions, comments and questions to Kelly.Broderick@MyFWC.com.
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