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

What did you do last summer?

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.

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Talk NERRdy to Me: Anita Grove

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).

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Apalachicola Reserve, Florida