Apalachicola Reserve, Florida
State
Florida
State Partner
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Acres
246,000
Est. Date
1979
Located in one of the most productive estuarine systems in the northern hemisphere, Florida’s Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve spans three barrier islands and a large part of the Apalachicola River, the bay and its tributaries. The Reserve’s 246,000 acres provide a forage area for migratory birds and support a local fishing industry worth $16 million annually. After the 2012 collapse of a local oyster fishery, the reserve has prioritized oyster restoration and worked extensively with partners to conduct research, training, and educational programs.
Did You Know…
One of six biodiversity hotspots in the country, the Reserve is home to 109 plant and 54 animal species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern, including the bald eagle and loggerhead sea turtle.
Latest News from the Apalachicola Reserve
Students Carry On Cultural and Economic Touchstone Through Oyster Aquaculture
The oyster fishery, once the economic and cultural backbone of the Apalachicola Bay community, collapsed in 2013. A new generation of young residents, however, are learning about oyster aquaculture in the bay.
What did you do last summer?
While summer here at the NERRA “office” was great, we’re more than a little jealous of the Rookery Bay Research Reserve’s education team, who logged a six day road trip to three other Reserves along the Gulf of Mexico.
Talk NERRdy to Me: Anita Grove
Talk NERRdy to Me is a monthly column about leaders and luminaries from across our Reserves. This month, NERRA’s correspondent-on-the-loose Nik Charov Zoomed to the Florida Panhandle to chat with Anita Grove, the coastal training coordinator at the Apalachicola Reserve. They talked about sense of place, bears surviving heat waves, and curious things lurking in the Gulf of Mexico (we’re looking at you, Rookery Bay).