By Pamela Phillips and Kathalyn Gaither
Scientific language can sometimes be hard to understand, but Floridians shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to our experts to learn about our environment. Recently, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve kicked off a new series dubbed Sci Café where area residents are encouraged to sit down with a scientist to talk about topics that are especially important to those living on the gulf coast. The venue will likely be a local restaurant or business, the topics will change each month and questions and comments will be welcome. The first of this series was held on Feb. 28 at Fathom’s Steam Room and Raw Bar in Carrabelle – a waterfront seafood restaurant.
The topic for the evening was about tarpon fishing and research. Dr. Jiangang Luo from Miami’s Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science attended and discussed tarpon tagging and satellite tracking. Dr. Kathy Guidon from Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute was also there, asking the local anglers to participate in her DNA research and distributing DNA kits to interested participants. Finally, captains Ron Harper and Chester Reese spoke about local area fishing. Sci Café is planning programs for alternating months at different locations on more coastal living topics. For more information, call ANERR at 850-670-7700.
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It serves as an outdoor classroom and laboratory for students and scientists from around the world.
The 1,000-mile expedition route will take the team through and around many ecosystems and well-known landmarks, such as Babcock Ranch, Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and the St. Johns River. Reporters, politicians, landowners and other guests will join the team at various points throughout the journey.
Interested followers can tag along on the 1,000-mile trek with the team as they explore migration corridors, learn about the farming and ranching communities and discover potential eco-tourism opportunities along the way.
To track their 100-day adventure and experience the journey virtually, follow the team on the Florida Expedition website or Facebook and read about their adventures on Twitter.
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