Habitats in our Watersheds

Pensacola Bay

Oyster Reefs

Oysters are ecosystem engineers that provide habitat for fish, shellfish, and birds. They also help improve water quality by filtering water and stabilizing shorelines. Pensacola Bay oysters are culturally and economically significant and once supported a thriving oyster industry.

• Declining since the 1980s due to poor water quality and overfishing
• We no longer have enough oysters to support wild harvest
• Due to these declines, the oyster industry has turned to oyster aquaculture (farming)
• There is hope – the community came together to develop a plan to restore our oysters

The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) is responsible for regular bacterial testing of coastal waters to ensure wild and farmed oysters in the bay are safe to eat.

• Bacterial monitoring in the bay started in 1985
• Long term bacteria level trends determine which areas are approved or prohibited for oyster harvesting
• Additional short term closures may occur in response to environmental conditions
• The prohibited harvest area was expanded in 2022 due to consistently high bacteria levels, impacting aquaculture operations
• Efforts are underway to determine bacteria sources and remediate them

Cluster of oysters. Photo: PPBEP

Intertidal oyster reef. Photo: PPBEP

Previous Next

Pensacola Bay

Seagrass Beds

Seagrasses are plants that grow entirely underwater in marine and brackish waters. They are important nursery habitats for many species, stabilize our shores, and filter our waters. Poor water quality and propeller scarring have historically led to seagrass declines, but in recent years, we have seen increases in seagrass coverage.

Mapping efforts are completed every few years to assess the health and coverage of seagrass beds. Why are some years missing data for certain segments of the Bay? Monitoring costs money! Researchers and agencies sometimes have limited resources to complete mapping for the entire bay. It’s our goal to complete regular mapping of Pensacola and Perdido Bays. We need your help to make it happen. Donate here!

Lower Pensacola Bay

• Large declines from 1960s to 1992 (~630 acres lost)
• Conditions improved from 1992 to 2017 with an additional 120 acres, but coverage is only about half of what it was in 1960

Santa Rosa Sound

• Large decline from 1960s to 1980s (about half lost)
• Relatively stable from 1980s to 2017, ranging from 2,800 to 3,600 acres
  

Pensacola Bay

Wetlands

Wetlands are important transition zones between terrestrial and aquatic environments. They protect shorelines by buffering wave energy, filter water by trapping sediments and pollutants, and provide habitat for thousands of plants and animals. There are many kinds of wetlands including marshes, bogs, and swamps. The majority of wetlands in our watersheds are located along main river systems and represent large areas of relatively undisturbed habitat.

• Over the last 20 years (2001-2019), we have lost 18% of our total wetland cover
• In recent years (2016-2019), we have lost 1% of our total wetland cover, a slightly slower rate than the last 20 years
• Wetland change was calculated from the National Land Cover Database

In 2021, the condition of our estuarine wetlands were assessed as part of a national survey.

• More than 65 wetland vegetation species were identified. 
• Black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus), sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense), and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) were the most common species
• Overall, based on the indicators measured (e.g., soils, water quality, hydrology, vegetation), the surveyed wetlands appear to be in good health
• Increasing development and poor management practices may negatively impact wetlands in the near future

Perdido River Delta. Photo: Darryl Boudreau, NWFWMD

Black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). Photo: PPBEP

Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense). Photo: PPBEP

Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Photo: PPBEP

Previous Next

Pensacola Bay

Longleaf Pine Forests

Longleaf pine forests support over 1,200 plant and animal species and play an important role in the history and culture across the Southeastern U.S.

• These pine forests once covered more than 90 million acres until the 1800s, when the logging industry decimated these forests with <3% of their historical range remaining today (LandScope America)
• Prior to logging in the 1800s, these forests covered >90 million acres across the Southeast
• Less than 3% of the historical range remains in the Southeast
• Natural reforestation and restoration are helping to recover these forests
• These ecosystems are fire dependent and historically burned regularly from lightning strikes
• Fragmented habitat has reduced the natural burning cycle and prescribed fire is used as a management technique to maintain habitat for important species like the red cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise

Pensacola Bay

Habitat Change

Natural habitats and landscapes are altered as humans shape the land to fit our needs. Land use is continually changing among types, resulting in land conversions that can alternate over time (e.g., forested area is developed, developed area is later reforested). These changes alter habitat availability, water quality and flow, and potentially threaten wildlife and human health.

• There is an overall increase in habitat change across the watershed, but this is a negative change because we are losing our natural habitats
• Forest is the main land cover type in our watershed
• Coastal areas are experiencing rapid development

• Over the last 20 years (2001-2019):
  • Developed lands have increased ~50%
  • 5% increase in forest
  • 18% loss of wetlands
  • 15% loss of agricultural  lands

• In recent years (2016-2019):
  • 8% increase in development
  • 6% increase in forest
  • 42% loss of grassland and shrubland (includes barrier island dune habitats)