Celebrating Florida’s Estuaries and Public Lands

On Saturday, September 29, two separate celebrations – National Estuaries Day and National Public Lands Day -- will recognize the importance of our invaluable natural resources. Held annually since 1988 and 1994, respectively, the celebrations focus on the special places where rivers meet the sea and the volunteer efforts that help to improve public lands for outdoor recreation.

Estuaries
Estuaries are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, serving as nurseries for fish and shellfish and providing vital nesting and feeding grounds for coastal birds, sea turtles and marine mammals. They are also important economic engines that pump millions of dollars into coastal communities through tourism, recreational sport fishing and boating.

Florida is home to some of the most pristine estuaries. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has made a significant investment in coastal stewardship by designating three Florida estuaries as National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Rookery Bay NERR located near Naples on the southwest Gulf coast, Apalachicola Bay NERR along the central Panhandle and Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) NERR located on the east coast near St. Augustine are among the 27 nationwide sites. Each Reserve has its own unique landscape and character, and each works with its own network of coastal communities to conduct research, provide education about the local resources and share the important mission of promoting stewardship of estuaries.

Why should Floridians care about estuaries? Consider these points:

• Florida’s sport fishing industry generates more than $4 billion each year in the sales of boats, fishing tackle and fuel. Fish found in Florida waters, including snook, redfish and tarpon, depend upon healthy estuaries.
• Shrimp landings along Florida’s west coast totaled 18.5 million pounds in 2002; shrimp also depend on healthy estuaries.
• Florida’s estuaries are lined with mangroves, marshes and sea grasses -- plants that rely on clean coastal waters to provide a vital food source and habitat for wildlife. Apalachicola Bay waters yield 90 percent of Florida’s commercial oyster harvest.

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