Introduction to Aquaculture Workshop

Libby Carnahan
UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent

Investing in commercial aquaculture in Florida can be financially rewarding, but it can also be disastrous without the proper research. Aquaculture is one of the most technically demanding and financially risky forms of “agricultural” production that exists. To learn more about the opportunities and potential pitfalls associated with investing in Florida aquaculture, the Pinellas County Extension Office and UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant is offering an Introduction to Aquaculture Workshop on Wednesday, June 12th.

The workshop is open to the public, and is specifically intended for individuals who have an interest in development or growth of aquaculture–related businesses. The workshop will also provide a good overview for educators interested in teaching aquaculture to youth or adults. Aquaculture extension specialists from around the state, and a representative of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Aquaculture, will present current information on the status of aquaculture in Florida, pros and cons of specific business ventures, an overview of state regulations, and a discussion of resources available to support these businesses.

The workshop will be held Wednesday June 12th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg, Florida. Pre-registration is required and can be accessed at http://aquacultureworkshop.eventbrite.com . A $10 registration fee includes lunch and materials. For more information, contact Libby Carnahan lcarnahan@ufl.edu or (727)453-6522. For more information on aquaculture in Florida visit http://www.flseagrant.org/aquaculture.

Grilled or Fried? Consumer Seafood Survey

  
Libby Carnahan,
Pinellas County Sea Grant Extension Agent  

Popcorn shrimp, smoked mullet, blackened mahi mahi, grouper piccata…no matter how you sauté it, smoke it, fry it, or grill it, Florida offers many tasty seafood options. But how do you decide what seafood to eat and where to buy it? Is it the cost, health benefits, or origin of your seafood that weighs on your mind?

The University of Florida Extension Service and Florida Sea Grant want to know. We are asking for the input of Florida residents on a statewide consumer survey, which should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Your feedback will help in the development of future university extension education and outreach programs.

http://www.flseagrant.org/component/content/article/16-seafood-production-and-safety/315-seafood-survey

Sign up for The Water Column, Pinellas Sea Grant Extension Newsletter
Follow UF Pinellas SeaGrant on Twitter

My Summer Internship at Pinellas County Extension

Rebecca Herrin 
2012 UF/IFAS Intern 

An internship is a great way to get a hands-on taste of what a certain company or agency has to offer. While some internships provide a spectators view with busy work, there are others that immerse you in the field. My internship at Pinellas County Extension was the latter.

I am currently a senior at the University of Florida, studying Sustainability and the Built Environment and Political Science. This summer I was the Sustainable Living Intern for Pinellas County Extension and I spent a majority of my time working with Libby Carnahan, the Sea Grant Extension Agent, at Weedon Island Preserve. Working with the Sea Grant Extension Agent has been a rewarding experience, as I have been able to develop an understanding of coastal resilience. Although I am a native of Pinellas County (born and raised in Largo), I never really appreciated (or understood) the concept of coastal sustainability!

I spent roughly eight weeks with Extension and I experienced a little of everything from sitting at the Lawn and Garden desk conversing with the Master Gardener Volunteers to canoeing the mangrove tunnels of Weedon Island. I dug up sweet potatoes at the 4H garden, helped host a hurricane preparedness workshop, and attended a nutrition class geared towards a group of adults getting their lives on the right track. The public certainly appreciated the classes, events, information and resources provided by Extension. At a rain barrel workshop, the ecstatic attitudes were demonstrated in more people showing up than we had barrels. Other participants were excited to meet like-minded people. One attendee said she was so happy to see so many people excited about water conservation. 

The University of Florida is a land-grant university that has been in existence since Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act 150 years ago! Land grant universities educate the public and provide research on agricultural and mechanical processes and improvements. Although very little agriculture remains in Pinellas County, the extension services thrive by adapting to the varying needs of its constituents and its purpose has expanded to involve solutions for every aspect of urban life. 

My internship allowed me to experience all aspects of extension and allowed me to see the value of every department. Every day was a different day at Extension, but the variety only drew me closer to the idea of Extension after graduation. Each agent I worked with had a passion for his or her field and a plethora of knowledge. Extension fosters that creativity and enthusiasm, making this internship a rewarding experience and possible career choice after college.

Community Shows Love for the Environment

Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Extension Agent

What do residents love about Pinellas County? The natural resources! This weekend, residents volunteered their time to show their love for the green and blue spaces that we cherish in Pinellas County. In conjunction with National Public Lands Day and National Estuaries Day, cleanup events were organized on land and sea.

At Weedon Island Preserve, Florida Sea Grant/Pinellas County Extension hosted 18 employees of OSI Restaurant Partners for a land-based cleanup of some hard to reach shorelines on Riviera Bay. On Saturday, 24 community volunteers utilized canoes and kayaks to reach the remote shoreline of Googe Island within the preserve. Together, these groups collected approximately 24 bags of debris. Volunteers recorded every item found, giving us a clear picture of the manufactured items impacting the health of humans, wildlife, and economies.

Farther North in the county, Reef Monitoring Inc., a local non-profit, hosted an underwater cleanup of Clearwater Artificial Reefs. 187 certified divers removed an astounding 1,534 pounds of trash!

• Artificial Reefs provide habitat for popular sport fish and other marine life and help alleviate fishing pressures on natural habitats.
• More than 1800 persons in Pinellas County – residents and visitors included – use artificial reefs.
• Fishermen and divers who use Pinellas County’s 12 artificial reef sites spend more than $79 million in the county annually.

Please do your part to keep our oceans clean. Marine debris poses a threat to marine mammals, sea turtles, sea birds, and decreases the quality of life for human residents. When possible-reuse, reduce, and recycle. Don’t wait for an official day to clean up-make every day a cleanup day!

Libby Carnahan
Sea Grant Extension Agent

Today, Tampa Bay is cleaner, safer, and more eco-friendly thanks to the work of 80 dedicated volunteers. In Tampa Bay, it is estimated that thousands of abandoned crab traps have been accumulating in the bay for decades. This July marked a temporary 10-day closure in blue crab fishing season, which happens only once every 2 years. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) closure allows local environmental agencies to remove any trap from the water because during the closed season, all crab traps are considered derelict. This effort decreases ghost fishing, eliminates hazards to navigation, and improves the aesthetics of our waters.

On July 16, 2011, a total of 28 boats at Fort Desoto, Demens Landing, Bellair Boat Ramp, the Courtney Campbell Boat Ramp, Williams Park, and Cockroach Bay, headed out into bay and Gulf waters in search of abandoned traps. We collected a total of 215 traps! Of those traps 124 traps were blue crab and 91 were stone crab traps. Stone crab season is currently closed and reopens October 15th.

The FWC authorized cleanup event was coordinated by Tampa Bay Watch in collaboration with Florida Sea Grant, Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, and Audubon’s Florida Coastal Island Sanctuaries. However, it is the citizens who donated their time, their boats, and their passion for the environment to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude!

Resources:
Derelict Crab Traps
Florida Sea Grant Derelict Crab Trap Information
Ghost Fishing