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 St. Andrews State Park Aquatic Preserve surrounds the entrance of St. Andrew Bay and includes West and East Pass, Shell Island, and portions of the St. Andrew State Recreation Area. The St. Andrew Bay system is one of the most diverse bays in North America, and has the largest expanse of seagrass beds in the Florida panhandle. It has little fresh water input compared to other bay systems in the panhandle, and the major sources are from spring fed streams. The watershed for the bay system is entirely within the state of Florida. The aquatic preserve contains a variety of habitats from the hard bottom areas of the jetties to extensive seagrass beds within the portion of the preserve located in the bay.

The aquatic preserve is an important component within the entire St. Andrew Bay system because all waters entering and exiting the bay during each tidal cycle must pass through the preserve. The extensive salt marshes and seagrass beds provide essential spawning and nursery habitats for a variety of fish and shellfish species. The dune and beach ecosystems within the preserve include rare and federally protected species such as the snowy plover, piping plover, loggerhead sea turtle, green turtle and Choctawhatchee beach mouse.

The uplands bordering the St. Andrews State Park Aquatic Preserve consist primarily of residential and public managed areas. Tyndall Air Force Base and the St. Andrew State Recreation Area manage most of the uplands adjacent to the preserve which help buffer impacts to water quality.

Established

1972

Location

Bay County
Cities nearby: Panama City, Panama City Beach, Callaway, Tyndall AFB
Adjacent roads: Hwy 98, Front Beach Road, Thomas Drive

Size

25,000 acres

Watershed

St. Andrews Bay Watershed (includes St. Andrew Bay, West Bay, East Bay, North Bay, Deer Point Reservoir, and numerous small spring fed creeks).
Size of watershed is 1,144 square miles (732,275 square acres)

Habitat

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

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

Scrub - sand live oak, myrtle oak, sand pine, fetterbush, rosemary, saw palmetto

Coastal dune lake - Ruppia maritima, cattails, sawgrass, black needlerush, saltmeadow cordgrass

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

Ecological Importance

The St. Andrew Bay system is one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America, rivaling Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Over 2,100 marine dependent species have been recorded for this bay system, and this system has the largest seagrass stock in the Florida panhandle. The beaches within the aquatic preserve and adjacent beaches provide valuable nesting grounds for protected sea turtles such as the endangered green, and threatened loggerhead. Several threatened and endangered shorebird species also use these areas for nesting. The extensive seagrass beds and marshes provide habitat and nursery grounds for many economically important fish and shellfish 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

The major geomorphic features of St. Andrew Bay include Shell Island, and West and East Pass. This area previously had some of the largest sand dunes in Florida, but recent hurricanes have flattened many of the Shell Island dunes.

Archaeological Features

There are three known sites that are on the Florida Master Site File and are identified as midden sites. These areas have been traced back to the Ft. Walton period of aboriginal culture.

Uses

Recreational:

Swimming, snorkeling/diving, fishing, boating, canoe/kayaking, bird watching, shelling.

Commercial:

Fishing, tourism, Port Panama City nearby, Tyndall Air Force Base and Coastal Systems Station nearby, intracoastal waterway.

Educational:

Educational programs for all ages are available through the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserve office. They can vary from slide shows to field trips. St. Andrews State Recreation Area offers slide shows and interpretive programs. Bay Environmental Study Team sponsors events and have a diverse array of educational materials

Research:

National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Freshwater Game and Fish, Tyndall Air Force Base, and Coastal Systems Station all do research in the Bay. There have been extensive projects studying fisheries, plant life, endangered species, chemical contaminants, and water quality within the bay and the aquatic preserve.

Adjacent Land Use:

St. Andrews State Recreation Area (recreational and resource management). Tyndall Air Force Base (air force activities, recreational and resource management). Residential.

Management Status

Designation:

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

Ownership / Manager:

State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas

Management / Research Activities:

1. Bay Environmental Study Team (BEST) has had a hand in projects ranging from storm water runoff to seagrass protection. Currently the team, which consists of all groups mentioned below and others, is conducting an intense seagrass protection project consisting of county ordinances, education, and management.
2. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) manages endangered species in the preserve and conducts tests for chemical contaminates in sediments.
3. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) participates in management and research activities ranging from fisheries to seagrass.
4. Resource Management Association (RMA) conducts regular water quality sampling.
5. RMA / Baywatch and other volunteer organizations conduct sea turtle nest monitoring.
6. NWF Aquatic Preserve office is conducting seagrass prop-scar protection through placement of buoys in heavily scarred areas.
7. The submerged grass of the preserve and the entire St. Andrews Bay system has been mapped by the U.S. Geological Service and USFWS using satellite and infrared photography.

Management Issues and Threats:

1. Grassbed protection is a major concern from sources such as encroachment from development, prop scarring, and point source/ non point source pollution.
2. The recent East Pass closure is a concern to many and is expected to cause water quality problems due to decreased flushing. The sand bridge that has connected the island to the mainland will encourage exotic plant and animal encroachment on Shell Island. This will affect vulnerable endangered species such as nesting sea turtles and birds and the Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse.

Management Needs:

Studies to assess the changes in the aquatic preserve and surrounding barrier island due to the East Pass closure. These should include seagrass monitoring, nesting success of shorebirds and sea turtles, and population stability of the Choctawhatchee beach mouse.

References

Bay Environmental Study Team (BEST). 1995. St. Andrew Bay NEP Nomination. BEST, Panama City, Fl. 48 pp. with appendices.