November Update from the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative

Pathway to Recovery

The ABSI team & Shantz Lab have been recovering, photographing, and deploying artificial reef structures across Apalachicola Bay. See ABSI Science Highlight below for more details.

The Apalachicola Bay System Initiative Newsletter - November 2022

The ABSI mission: to gain insight into the root causes of decline of the Apalachicola Bay ecosystem with a focus on oyster reefs, and ultimately, with guidance from the Community Advisory Board and input from stakeholders and the public, to develop science-informed restoration and ecosystem-based management plans focused on the recovery of oyster reefs and the health of Apalachicola Bay.

News from the Community Advisory Board

October was a busy month for Apalachicola Bay System Initiative! On October 18th, the Community Advisory Board (CAB) met at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve facility. The meeting began with reports from the CAB working groups and subcommittees followed by a science update from ABSI Principal Investigator, Dr. Sandra Brooke. This science update includes : results of oyster surveys on ABSI restoration sites and proposals for next restoration experiment.  Next, CAB member and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) representative Devin Resko provided an update on the FWC and NFWF Oyster Bay Restoration Phase II project. If you have any questions or comments, please email Devin at devin.resko@myfwc.com. Then, Dr. Ed Camp, (University of Florida Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences), spent the majority of the meeting providing an overview of stock assessment models and simulation models (a "what if?" analysis). Ed is an interdisciplinary scientist who focuses on the ecology and human dimension aspects of managing fisheries & aquaculture. A few hours after the Community Advisory Board concluded, ABSI hosted an Oystermen’s Workshop to present the science behind current ABSI restoration experiments and FWC restoration projects. Seven oystermen participated in the meeting and gave feedback on the restoration plans and potential management options for the oyster fishery. Finally, on October 19th, ABSI hosted its first Community Workshop to present information and data from ABSI restoration experiments and FWC restoration projects, and to allow time and space for members of the public to express comments and questions about the status of the Bay. Thank you to everyone who came out to the Oystermen’s Workshop and the Community Workshop! We are planning another Community Workshop in early 2023 – stay tuned for updates.  To ensure complete transparency, the entire history of the deliberations from each of the 23 meetings (19 CAB meetings and 4 Oystermen's Workshops) since March 2020, including copies of all presentations and meeting recordings, are available on the ABSI Community Advisory Board website. Note: Due to COVID-19, meetings of the CAB took place virtually using ZOOM from May 2020 to January 2022. The CAB resumed in-person meetings in March 2022.

Next CAB Meeting: November 30th, 8:30am-2:30pm -- ANERR Multi-Purpose Room This meeting will be held in-person at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) facility if public health conditions allow (or held via Zoom if needed). Members of the public are encouraged to attend and listen in. A public Zoom option will be available. There is room for for public comment at the end of each meeting. Meeting Agenda Coming Soon Upcoming Events: Sopchoppy Oyster and Mullet Fest – November 12th, Sopchoppy. The ABSI team will be at the Sopchoppy Oyster and Mullet Fest! With over 60 vendors and delicious food trucks, this is a “can’t miss” event!

ABSI Science Highlight

This past month, the ABSI team and Shantz Lab have been recovering, photographing, and deploying artificial reef structures across the bay. Each structure is made with calcium carbonate, similar to oyster shells, and concrete. The Reef Balls, are hollow structures that provide large open spaces for oyster settlement while the Layer Cakes have smaller spaces that may provide refuge from predators but plenty of surface area for oyster recruitment. In 6-month increments, these structures are brought onto a boat and photographed to create 3D models of each. This method allows the team to not only track changes in oyster cover, but quantify the changes in volume over time to better understand how oysters build large oyster reefs that facilitates future oyster recruitment, provide habitat for associated fishes and crabs, and are essential for ecosystem services like wave attenuation, which protects shorelines from storms.

Florida Seafood Festival The ABSI team had a great time at the Florida Seafood Festival on November 4th and 5th. Thank you to everyone that stopped by the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Lab tent to say hello and learn more about the ABSI project. We can't wait for next year!

ABSI and FWC FAQs

The ABSI team has developed a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This is a working document, meaning that as more data and information become available, we will update the page accordingly. For questions or comments, please reach out to fsucml-absi@fsu.edu. Thank you! If you have questions about the FISHERY CLOSURE - check out these Q&As from FWC If you have questions about the SCIENCE and RESTORATION EXPERIMENTS in the Bay - check out these Q&As from ABSI

Join the ABSI Newsletter Mailing List We are always interested in hearing from you so if you have questions or comments, please send them to our email address, fsucml-absi@fsu.edu.

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