Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Recovering from Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael left the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve’s (ANERR) aquariums, boardwalks and bay overlook out of commission. The Nature Center will re-open November 27. 

ANERR’s Nature Center building was not damaged by Hurricane Michael, a category 4 storm that hit the Florida panhandle on Oct. 10. However, the area below the building – where pumps and filtration systems that maintained the aquariums above, in the center – were flooded by Apalachicola Bay waters, and several large pieces of essential aquarium equipment were carried away. The surge also broke pipes and shorted and corroded electrical components. The aquariums, one of the center’s main attractions, will be inoperable for some time. 

Meanwhile, ANERR staff has been working to repair damages with additional help from volunteers and the Florida Coastal Office Recovery Team, comprised of FCO staff from around the state who have experience rebuilding after a hurricane. 

When the ANERR Nature Center re-opens on November 27, it will open in a limited capacity with a new temporary exhibit by Dr. Stan Kunigelis showcasing photographs of copepods at the microscopic level. The ‘Black Bears of Florida’ lecture by FWC biologist Nicholas Deuel will be moved from its original date and instead take place on Wednesday, November 28.



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