Meet the Captain and Boat; the Apalachee Cat

SaltwaterNow@gmail.com

Environmental Education through EcoTours, Fishing and Enjoyment of Our Apalachee Bay

SaltwaterNow's: 2009 Environmental Education Through 3 programs: Shark Conservation, Red Tide Offshore Monitoring and Water Quality Monitoring

Web by SaltwaterNow

St. Marks, Tallahassee and Local Surrounding Areas, Florida, U.S.A.
Focused on Understanding and Appreciating Our Complex Intertwined Ecosystems

This Environmental Education program will continue to expand its Hands-On/Minds-On Marine Education Focus to assist students to become involved in long-term conservation efforts of our numerous natural resources for Estuarine, Coastal and Marine Education initiatives in our Big Bend Areas.

The Shark Conservation Program will enhance the understanding the importance of sharks and rays both in our local waters and in our State, Federal and International niche with these fascinating fish.

The Red Tide Offshore Monitoring Program includes obtaining Offshore Water samples to be sent to a laboratory for analysis and concurrently allow examining retained samples upon return to shore. The importance of understanding microscopic contributions to major oceanic and marine issues while offering assistance in protecting our shore lines stresses the need for continual vigilance of potentially changing environmental conditions.

The Water Quality Monitoring Program includes scientifically obtaining representative water sample parameters of temperature, pH, conductivity, visibility (at specific depths) and doing so at specific inshore and offshore locations. These water quality parameters and locations are integrally important to the Shark/Red Tide Programs. This program stresses the importance of scientific data collection and recording of this information to support complex marine assessments.

All of these programs allow discussions of associated marine considerations of: tides, currents, navigation, weather, flora/fauna, ecosystems, species identification and interrelated dependency of subecosystems.

The development of modules which are consistent with, supportive of, and continue to further the structured relevancy of scientific understanding with the Florida Sunshine State Standards will be developed and continually reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

The intent is to pursue obtaining monthly red tide samples; shark tagging will be performed at least monthly from April through November.

National Wilderness Preservation System presents St. Marks National Wildlife Refugee's Linkage to the National Preservation of unique and vitally ecologically sensitive areas.

Water Management presents information on the Watershed, geologic and hydrogeologic features of our area in a concise format, unfortunately it does load slowly (5.6 M) but it has great graphics.

St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers Greenway is an interesting and holistic view of the interactive greenways conservation program.

St. Marks and Wakulla River Information presents a concise overview of the importance of these rivers to the regions ecological health with recommendations to government on conservation and preservation priorities.

Florida's Panhandle State Parks addresses and phone numbers are found here; these are incredible resources with a wide variety of ecosystems, flora, fauna and activities to view and engage.