Apalach Bay moving forward

PANAMA CITY — This past week Florida State researchers received word that a nearly $8 million proposal to help restore Apalachicola Bay will be funded by Triumph Gulf Coast, a nonprofit board that disburses funds the state received for economic damages as a result of the BP Oil Spill.

The Apalachicola Bay Systems Initiative is a critical project for a Florida treasure that has been imperiled. A variety of natural and man-made disturbances have affected the overall health of the bay, including over-fishing, aquatic diseases, predation, hurricanes and changes in water flow into the bay.

The vitality of Apalachicola Bay is key to the socio-economic prosperity of Franklin County and the surrounding area. Specifically, as the Bay’s health has suffered overall, we’ve seen a dramatic decline in the area’s once-booming oyster industry, resulting in widespread job loss and increased economic insecurity for so many Franklin County residents whose livelihoods are tied to the bay.

Florida State University is uniquely positioned through its Coastal and Marine Laboratory to investigate what exactly has happened to the bay and to determine what steps might be necessary to bring it back to its former glory.

This $8 million grant from Triumph is the start of a long conversation about how to move forward in a scientifically sound way. Our researchers have no preconceived notions about the best way to do that. As they conduct their research, they will be meeting with many stakeholders throughout the Panhandle to get their views on this indispensable resource.

Many people have questioned whether FSU is getting into the “oyster business” as part of this effort. The answer is no. While we will build an experimental oyster hatchery, we have no interest in running a commercial hatchery. It is outside of our mission and expertise, and the facility we will build will not have the capability necessary to move to a commercial scale.

This will be an open process. We want to hear from the community. We will create an advisory board of community stakeholders to weigh in as we consider the best steps forward.

Additionally, all of the data our researchers collect on a variety of issues related to the bay will be housed on a public website so that anyone can review what we learn. It is our desire to be both transparent and serve as a resource for anyone with an interest in oysters and the bay.

We have no illusions about this being a simple task. However, it is a vital step along the pathway to ecosystem recovery.

We hope that we can count on your patience and support as we endeavor to understand and ultimately develop a science-based action plan to help the Bay recover.

If you are interested in learning more about this project, visit the Apalachicola Bay Systems Initiative website at https://marinelab.fsu.edu/the-apalachicola-bay-system-initiative or email gary@fsu.edu.

Editor's note: The writer is FSU vice president for Research.