Contact

Shelley Alexander - Shelley.Alexander@dep.state.fl.us
Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserves Office
1600 Garcon Point Road
Milton, FL 32583
(850) 983-5359 or (850) 983-5361
Office hours: 8:00am - 6:00pm CST

Description of Site

The Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve is located in the southwestern corner of the Florida panhandle. This 34,000 acre preserve surrounds the western end of Santa Rosa Island and the eastern end of Perdido Key which are both typical examples of undeveloped barrier islands. The submerged lands along the northern sides of these islands are characterized by shallow saline waters, continuous and patchy seagrass beds, and salt marshes. These communities provide habitat for wildlife and birds such as nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. Several species are listed as endangered or threatened.

Due to the proximity to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Pensacola Ship Channel, the preserve experiences some of the heaviest boat traffic (industrial, military, and recreational) in northern Florida. Such intense use poses threats to the area, and integrated management between state, federal, and local governments is crucial.

The proximity of the Gulf Islands National Seashore facility provides many recreational possibilities within the preserve. Fishing, swimming, diving, boating, and sight seeing are regular activities. There is an underwater archaeological preserve within the preserve, the USS Massachusetts that provides excellent diving and fishing opportunities.

Established

1970

Location

County: Escambia County
Cities nearby: Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach
Adjacent roads: Hwy. 98, Bob Sikes Bridge, Interstate I-10

Size

34,000 acres

Watershed

Pensacola Bay Watershed (includes Escambia River, Yellow River, Blackwater River, and East River).

Size of watershed is 7,000 square miles (4,500,000 acres)

Habitat

Submerged Habitat

Salt marsh - black needlerush, smooth cordgrass, saltmeadow cordgrass, sea oxeye daisy, saltgrass, hurricanegrass, knotgrass, coastal dropseed

Seagrasses - turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum), shoal grass (Halodule wrightii), widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme)

Open water - estuarine and oceanic.

Adjacent Upland Habitat:

Beach dune - bitter panicum, rosemary, sea oats, sea rocket, Cruise’s golden aster (Chrysopsis cruiseana), large-leaved jointweed (Polygonella macrophylla)

Scrub - sand live oak, myrtle oak, fetterbush, rosemary, saw palmetto, Cruise’s golden aster, large-leaved jointweed

Mesic flatwoods - slash pine, saw palmetto, waxmyrtle

Coastal interdunal swale - woody goldenrod, Gulf bluestem, sea oats, sand live oak, slash pine, myrtle oak, saltmeadow cordgrass, rosemary, and Conradina

Ecological Importance

The barrier islands provide a crucial stop over spot for migrating birds coming from South America. The Audubon Society monitors this activity annually. The Pensacola Pass centered in the middle of the preserve allows flushing of the surrounding bays, keeping water quality in good condition. The pass also allows for the required life-cycle migration of some fish and invertebrate species. The salt marshes and seagrasses serve as critical habitat and nursery areas for aquatic species, birds and other wildlife. The undisturbed sandy beaches provide nesting habitat for several endangered birds and sea turtle species.

Rare / Endangered Species

State listings are taken from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or as with plants Florida Department of Agriculture. Federal listings are taken from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. E= Endangered. T= Threatened. T (s/a)= Threatened due to similarity in appearance. SSC= Species of Special Concern. UR= Under review. n/a= information not available or no designation listed.

Geomorphic Features

Santa Rosa Island and Pensacola Pass. This area previously had some of the largest sand dunes in Florida, up to 40’ high. Hurricanes Erin and Opal in 1995 flattened many of the barrier island's dunes.

Archaeological Features

The aquatic preserve is rich with archaeological history, varying from prehistoric (Native American) to historic (Spanish and American). There are several Indian middens on Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key, but most of the past activity was historic and included Spanish settlers who first came in 1528, but also included activity from the Civil and Spanish-American Wars. Fort Pickens, Ft. McRee, and Ft. Barrancas are three forts that guarded the mainland in the Civil and Spanish-American Wars.

A sunken ship within the preserve, the USS Massachusetts was built in 1891 and was one of the most powerful naval vessels of her time. Numerous guns and 18 inches of an armor plating around her hull made the Indiana-class battleship formidable. The ship was sunk in 1921 to be used as a target for artillery tests. It was finally designated as an archeological underwater preserve in 1993 and rests in the Gulf of Mexico, one mile from Pensacola Pass. It serves as a popular fishing and diving location.

Uses

Recreational:

Swimming, fishing, boating, diving, surfing, canoe/kayaking, bird watching.

Commercial:

Fishing, shrimping, maritime transportation, Pensacola Naval Air Station and Port of Pensacola nearby.

Educational:

Educational programs for all ages are available through the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserve office. They can vary from slide shows to field trips. Also, the Gulf Islands National Seashore has interpretive programs available.

Research:

There has been much research done in the preserve and on the barrier island, ranging from animals and plants, to how hurricanes affect barrier islands. Studies have been done by the University of West Florida, Louisiana State University, Dauphin Island Sea Lab (Alabama), Gulf Research Lab (Mississippi), Southeast Louisiana University, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

Management Status

Designation:

Aquatic Preserve, Outstanding Florida Water (OFW).
Designated as an EPA Gulf of Mexico Ecological Management Site

Ownership/ Manager:

State of Florida / Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserves.

Management / research activities:

1. Dauphin Island Sea Lab and FDEP is studying a recent die off of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum in Big Lagoon. Water quality and detailed seagrass mapping are components of the study;
2. NWF Aquatic Preserves and Gulf Islands National Seashore are installing marker buoys for seagrass protection from prop scars;
3. The NWF Aquatic Preserve office is tracking Gulf Sturgeon for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the recovery plan for the threatened fish;
4. FDEP is monitoring a restoration attempt of the bay scallop which has recently disappeared from the area;
5. EPA continues to do water quality testing with fish and invertebrates through out the bay;
6. Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS) personnel monitor sea turtle nesting along the barrier islands;
7. Francis M. Weston Audubon Society conducts bird count studies on the barrier islands;
8. Many studies have been done on the geomorphology of the barrier islands, especially with regard to hurricane activity.

Management issues and threats:

1. The seagrass die off in Big Lagoon is a concern. Reasons for the die off are unknown at this time;
2. The recent decline of scallops is also a concern to many. One theory is that the salinity has gone down due to increased water runoff from developed areas. This area normally has very little fresh water input.
3. Prop scarring of seagrass beds in Spanish Cove and Langley Point is moderate to heavy. Protection buoys are being placed to restrict motor activity; and will be enforced by GINS.
4. There is a lot of commercial shrimping activity in and near the preserve. Much controversy exists over shrimping in bays where there are seagrass beds. Also, the bycatch that shrimpers incidentally catch and destroy is enormous.

References

Florida Department of Natural Resources. 1992. Ft. Pickens Aquatic Preserve Management Plan. 102pp.

Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. 1997. Florida’s Endangered Species and Species of Special Concern. 15pp.

Hoggard, Riley. Gulf Islands National Seashore Resource Manager. 1999. Personal communication.

Thorpe, P.J., et al. 1997. The Pensacola Bay System Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan. 146pp.

For more information about the Fort Pickens  Aquatic Preserve, or to request a copy of the Pensacola Bay Boater’s Guide (a guide with locations of access points to the Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve plus much more information) contact: NWF Aquatic Preserves - see above.