Stories from the Seaside - the e-newsletter from the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea

August 2022

Sea Turtle Release: Scuttle Went Home!

On Wednesday, August 24th at 12:00, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab released 'Scuttle', the juvenile kemp's ridley sea turtle at Alligator Point, FL. Scuttle was caught by a recreational fisherman on July 1st, 2022 at the Eastpoint Fishing Pier. She was hooked in the jaw. Her hook was removed at Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and she was monitored closely for several weeks. Once she was gaining weight and hunting for food, she was deemed ready for release! "Days like these are so heartwarming and rewarding for all of our hardworking staff and volunteers who devote months of their time to loving and caring for each one of our rescues!" Thank you to the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol Team for showing up and helping out wherever needed as well as keeping our nesting beaches safe! We are so happy with the turnout and are grateful for the support shown!! We couldn’t have had a better day! You can find the video of her release and lots of photos on our Facebook page!

An underwater camera donation!

We are sending out a HUGE thank you to the Laharts for donating an underwater camera to Gulf Specimen Marine Lab! We are so excited to be able to take underwater photos of our fish and critters at the lab! Thank you for this amazing gift! We LOVE it!

Are you looking to schedule a field trip for your group or class?

Book A Tour With Us: 1 Hour Guided Aquarium Tour: You will be guided through the aquarium with a staff marine biologist who will give your group an in-depth tour of the facility and answer any questions you may have about our animals. 2 Hour Aquarium & Living Dock Tour: In addition to the lab tour, you will explore the fouling community species and the intertidal zonation of barnacles and oysters. 3 Hour Aquarium, Dock & Marsh Tour: In addition to the above, you will take a trip to a nearby marsh and will get the chance to use a seine net to collect jellyfish, shrimp, and juvenile fish and crabs.   Call us to make a reservation! 850-984-5297

Daily collections for a busy start to our shipping season!

Whether it be the start of a new semester or the creation of new exhibits for aquariums, Gulf Specimen has entered its busy season for specimen orders! With September and October being the busiest months for orders, we tend to start getting our tanks full in early August in order to keep up with critter demands! Over the past few weeks, our local collectors have collected via boat, on foot, and even using snorkels on the hunt for good fertile urchins to be used in embryology labs and courses! Sea urchins are our number one seller and professors and scientists have to rely on us to find and house hundreds of sea urchins each semester to send out weekly for their studies. We have also received several requests for large orders of animals for new aquarium exhibits and tanks across the country! These require special collections for fish and invertebrates. Targeting these species can be difficult, but being in the industry for over 50 years helps us know the locations and seasons of hundreds of species.

Have you noticed our recent construction project?

Over the past year, we have spent countless hours and lots of labor working to redo and rebuild the walls around our gift shop and throughout the facility! These buildings have been here for over 50 years and are receiving the TLC they need to withstand another 50 years! Mikey, our staff maintenance man, has worked hard these past months to renovate as quietly and safely as possible so that we are able to stay open throughout the whole renovation process!

Meet Our Four New Interns!

Shelly is a recent graduate from the University of New Hampshire where she received her Bachelors of Science in Wildlife and Conservation Biology while minoring in marine biology and environmental conservation and sustainability. She has always had an interest in marine biology but growing up in Kentucky left her with limited opportunities so she chose to attend university closer to an ocean. In New Hampshire she spent her time outside of the classroom working in research labs on a variety of marine organisms which has pointed her towards a career in marine biological research. Her favorite ocean animals are the killer whale and the thresher shark but at GSML, she is most excited to learn more about sea turtles, rays, and their baby octopus! Jacob is an undergraduate student at Florida State University in the field of Biological Sciences. Growing up in Wakulla and having volunteered at the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab this past summer, he took an interest in marine ecology and environmental sciences. Through this internship, Jacob hopes to receive the necessary education and hands-on experience in the field of marine biology and animal husbandry to further his future career goals in biology. So far, his favorite animal and Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is the moray eel.

Danielle is a recent graduate from the University of South Florida where she received her degree in Marine Biology with a minor in Anthropology. She has lived in Florida for her whole life, grew up around the ocean, and loved going to aquariums to admire all of the animals. After completing a previous aquarist internship, she realized a love for aquarium husbandry and hopes to continue to fuel this passion at Gulf Specimen. Her favorite animals at the lab are the southern stingrays and she hopes to get more hands-on experience with rehabilitating sea turtles during her internship. Jonathan or “JC” is from a small town outside of Atlanta and growing up landlocked he always yearned for a career next to the ocean. His favorite pastime is scuba diving as he is an advanced open water diver. Johnathan is an undergraduate student at Florida State University studying biology. He plans to work with marine mammals and their behaviors. His favorite animal and Gulf Specimen is the Slipper Lobster.

Wonders of the Gulf: Creature Feature

North Florida is gifted with an amazing array of diverse animals where we find fascinating creatures. Our exhibits change every season.

Ear Snail: An unusual gastropod with a small, delicate shell encased in a huge white slimy foot. Even experienced shell collectors seldom realize that within this hunk of white, porky meat is the delicate ear shell. Size 4-6 cm.

Florida Blennie: A large group of small, fish (2-4 inches), is common along the shells of oyster bars. Also found on shallow flats and seagrass beds. Females lay hundreds of tiny golden-colored eggs in empty shells, which the males aggressively guard. Size: 3-8 cm.

Red Flat Clawed Hermit Crab: It’s claws are specially modified to inhabit fighting conch shells. They are an attractive, peaceful hermit found in deep water throughout the winter months.

Gray Sand Star: A large, flattened gray starfish that buries down into the sand. Using its highly modified, pointed tube feet, it glides over the bottom with great agility and relative speed, pouncing on sand dollars, brittlestars, and small snails. Luidia is among the most primitive of all living starfish.

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