COASTAL RESOURCES

Unique, behind-the-scenes, event at the Gulfarium’s rehabilitation center

The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center is partnering again with Destin-Fort Walton Beach to bring awareness to sea turtles and our nesting beaches. Watch video

• The C.A.R.E. Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that acts as a beacon of coastal conservation through marine rehabilitation and rescue.

With this monthly event, attendees will be able to visit the C.A.R.E. Center after-hours and get a behind-the-scenes look into the operations of the rehabilitation center, meet their current patients, and learn how to perform a mock in-take of an injured turtle. 

“We really wanted to promote sea turtle conservation efforts, and teach our locals and our visitors about sea turtles and what they can do here on their nesting beaches,” said Jessica Valek, Coastal Resource Coordinator for Okaloosa County.

• “We thought that this was a really good time to join with the Gulfarium and combine our efforts to educate the public more about our local sea turtles.” 

“We’re going to take 10-15 guests through the rehabilitation center for a behind the scenes look,” said Tabitha Siegfried, Sea Turtle Stranding Coordinator. “We will then take them through a mock intake of what it looks like when a sea turtle comes in once they’ve been injured, and finally, we’ll take our guests to see a staged sea turtle nest here on property.”

The next “C.A.R.E.ing For Turtles” event is happening on February 15th. Admission is $15, but all of the proceeds from these events goes to the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. 

• Wednesday, February 15
• Wednesday, March 15
• Wednesday, April 19

Time: 4:00 p.m.
Ages: 8 and up

To register for your spot, click here.

COMING SOON

Okaloosa School District set to purchase 80 acres in Crestview for new school, plans for Destin, Niceville

On Monday, January 23, 2023, the Okaloosa County School Board held a workshop where they discussed the proposed purchase of 80 acres in Crestview, Florida. The land, located on the Western Crestview bypass, is being considered as the potential site for a new K-8 school.

• This property is West of Highway 85, North of I-10, and South of Highway 90 along the new bypass currently under construction. 

The current plan is to build the new school, then in the future, build a second school on the same property. The K-8 school would convert to a middle school (6-8), and the new school will be an elementary school (K-5). 

Dr. Bill Smith, the Director of Facilities and Construction for the OCSD, presented the proposal to the Board during the workshop. He discussed the need for additional school capacity in the Crestview area, which has seen a significant increase in population growth over the past decade. 

According to Smith, the proposed property was chosen for its central location and proximity to major thoroughfares, making it easily accessible to students and families from across the area. 

“We have been closely monitoring the population trends in Crestview and it’s clear that there is a need for additional schools in the area,” he said. “The Antioch Road property is the perfect location for our next schools, as it’s situated near residential developments and has plenty of room for future expansion.”

The proposed project aims to address the growing student population in Crestview and its surrounding areas, which has led to overcrowding in existing schools. The new school, which will be built on the 80-acre property, is slated to provide much-needed relief for the area and ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education.

• While the site is large enough for two schools, the initial focus is on the K-8 school. “This purchase will not only provide much-needed space for students, but it will also allow us to redistribute students to alleviate overcrowding at other schools,” said Smith.

In addition to the proposed purchase in Crestview, Superintendent Marcus Chamber also noted plans for an addition to Destin Elementary and Crestview High School, along with a new school in Niceville.

• “We are working on plans for a new school in the Niceville area and a new building on the campus of Destin Elementary,” he wrote in an email. “The Half-Cent Sales Tax has provided the funding for us to greatly impact and improve our existing schools, which allows us to use other capital funds for new school construction for the first time in over fifteen years.”

The school board plans to make a final decision on the purchase of the property this Spring. If approved, construction is expected to begin in late 2023 with the new schools projected to open in the fall of 2026.

COASTAL RESOURCES

Shivers leads the pack in 2023 Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Pre-Tournament

The 2023 Emerald Coast Open, the world’s largest lionfish tournament, has officially kicked off its pre-tournament competition in Destin, Florida. 

• The pre-tournament, which runs from February 1 to May 18th, is an important component of the Emerald Coast Open which aims to control lionfish populations and protect native marine species in the Gulf of Mexico.
• In 2022, divers removed 2,582 lionfish during the pre-tournament competition. All of these fish are processed by Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant and will be used for “Restaurant Week.”  

The pre-tournament is off to a great start with competition among the participating teams and solo operators, with some of the top lionfish hunters competing for the top prizes. Tim Shivers with Deepwater Mafia 1 leads the pack with 123 lionfish, followed closely by Bob Brown and Mark Klienpeter, both with team Deepwater Mafia 1, who have caught 99 lionfish each.

The Zookeeper Dive Team, consisting of Tim Robinson and Cody Robinson, is not far behind with 82 lionfish each. Austin Robbie with Reel Easy and Rob Pate with Under Pressure Divers round out the top five with 50 and 41 lionfish, respectively. Solo operator Riley Sluder has caught 4 lionfish so far in the pre-tournament.

The competition is expected to heat up (with the weather) even more over the next few months, as lionfish hunters work to improve their standings and ultimately claim their share of the prize pool.

Whether you are a die-hard lionfish hunter or just looking for a fun and educational event to attend, the 2023 Emerald Coast Open is definitely worth checking out if you are in the Destin area during the tournament, which runs from May 19-20, 2023. 

Stay tuned for updates on the tournament results and follow along with the action as the world’s top lionfish hunters compete to be crowned the champion of the 2023 Emerald Coast Open.

GIVING BACK

Blood Drive and Pet Adoption Event at ERA American Real Estate this Saturday

February 11, 2023 is National Make-a-Friend Day, and what better way to celebrate this special occasion than by giving back to the community. 

• Realtors Nance Wendel and Wayne Myshin of ERA American Real Estate in Shalimar, Florida, have organized a blood drive event to promote awareness of the critical need for blood donations.

On this day, from 10am to 3pm, the ERA American Real Estate office parking lot will be buzzing with excitement. OneBlood’s Big Red Bus will be on site to receive donations, and every person who gives blood will receive a free T-shirt and a $20 Walmart gift card, as well as hot dogs, chips, drinks, and cookies. 

• To make the event even more fun, there will be games and activities for everyone to enjoy. 
• Eglin Air Force Base’s Pet Welfare will also be there that day with adoptable animals. 

“Blood donation is an important cause, and we are proud to be part of it,” said Nance Wendel. “Every day, people in our community need blood to survive, and it’s only through the generosity of volunteer donors that we can help ensure a stable supply for those in need. We encourage everyone to come out and join us in this life-saving effort.”

Agents at ERA American Real Estate are no stranger to giving blood and raising awareness of the need to donate. In November 2019, Get The Coast broke the news that one of their agents, Ramona Speer, was desperately needing O Negative blood that was negative for the KPB antigen.

• Speer was scheduled to have a life-saving surgery on Tuesday, November 26th, but because her blood type is so rare, there wasn’t any O- blood in Northwest Florida that is negative for the antigen. 

OneBlood began working closely with the American Rare Donor Program, an agency that searches the world for rare blood. After a nationwide search along with multiple locations locally to donate blood, 3 matching donors were found and Speer’s surgery was a success!

According to OneBlood, just one blood donation has the potential to save up to three lives. Blood shortages are common, especially during the summer months, and it’s essential to keep the blood supply at a safe level. By giving blood, you are not only saving a life but also helping to ensure that there is enough blood available for emergencies and life-saving treatments.

So, mark your calendars for February 11th, from 10am to 3pm, and come to the ERA American Real Estate office in Shalimar, Florida, to celebrate National Make-a-Friend Day by giving blood, adopting a pet, and making new friends. This is a fantastic opportunity to give back to the community and make a real difference in someone’s life.

THINGS TO DO

Improve communication with your children with this free event

Beachside Community Church and the Okaloosa County School District are teaming up to offer a unique opportunity for parents and anyone who has a relationship with a child.

• “A Grown-Up’s Guide to Kids’ Wiring” is designed to help individuals understand the wiring of the children in their lives and improve communication with them.

The event, which is taking place on February 10th, will feature guest speaker Jenny Boyett. Boyett is the co-founder of The ColorWorks Group, a publishing and training company that teaches people about how their natural wiring affects communication. With over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Boyett has a wealth of knowledge to share on the topic.

The goal of the event is to provide attendees with a better understanding of the wiring of their children and to equip them with tools for improved communication. Boyett, who is a mother to four daughters, will lead the discussion on this important topic. No matter the title, everyone is invited to attend, including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, coaches, teachers, administrators, and community volunteers/leaders.

The event will kick off with a free dinner at 5:30 pm, followed by the presentation at 6:30 pm. Dinner and childcare will be provided free of charge, making it easier for families to attend. The event will take place at the Beachside Community Church, located at 200 Racetrack Rd, NW, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 (next to Choctaw High School).

For those interested in attending tonight or Saturday, space is limited, so be sure to RSVP at www.beachsidecc.org/parents. The same event will be held on Saturday, February 11th, with all the same details.

COASTAL RESOURCES

Researchers study Devil Rays in Northwest Florida to understand winter migration patterns

Researchers with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida have teamed up with the Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team to study devil rays in Northwest Florida. 

• This collaborative effort aims to shed light on the migration patterns of the devil rays and learn more about their behavior and ecology. 
• According to the Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team, the devil rays are typically only seen in our area during the fall and winter months. 

It all started in 2021, when members of the Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team were working to install 3 miles of sand fence and noticed a large number of devil rays swimming close to the shore in the fall and winter months. 

This sparked their curiosity, leading them to reach out to the Mote researchers who they knew were studying devil rays in southern Florid

Since 2009, Mote Researchers have been collecting data on three pelagic ray species: spotted eagle rays, manta rays, and devil rays. All three species are classified as “Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and understanding their distribution and movement patterns in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Western Atlantic Ocean is critical for informing conservation strategies.

“The fact that you have them (devil rays) there consistently in the winter months is sort of unique and it makes for a really good research opportunity,” said Kim Bassos-Hull, Senior Biologist at Mote. “This behavior is not typical for the species anywhere else. Even where we are in Sarasota, it’s rare and opportunistic when we see them.”

Last November, the Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team scoped out the presence of devil rays ahead of Mote’s arrival in Okaloosa. The team was initially worried that the warm weather might impact the presence of devil rays, but they were able to find a small group on their first day out. 

• During their week on the water, they were able to successfully find 17 devil rays, tagging 7 of them with acoustic tags. They were also able to collect biological and genetic samples, in addition to plankton samples collected by a researcher from the University of Georgia.
• The Mote researchers will process these samples and analyze the data to gain a deeper understanding of the devil rays and their habitat.

“The first devil rays acoustically tagged by Mote in 2020 and 2021 have come to the Panhandle,” said Atlantine Boggio-Pasqua, Mote researcher and co-lead on the project.

According to Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg, an animal is tagged with a device the size of a battery. It then sends out a unique ‘ping‘ that if in close proximity to a receiver will be detected and stored.

• “We then go out and download the receiver to see what tags have passed by,” he said. “There is a large network of receivers throughout the Gulf, East Coast and Caribbean that are maintained by numerous research entities and we all share the data.” 

“We just downloaded some of our receivers in Sarasota and have detections of two devil rays who traveled to the Panhandle in the winter and came back to Sarasota this summer,” continued Boggio-Pasqua. “The tags we deployed in 2022 will help us confirm this seasonal migration and hopefully uncover their full range of movements.”

The researchers hope that their work will help to shed light on the migratory patterns of devil rays with the help of their underwater acoustic receivers and tagging technology. 

They aim to understand why the devil rays come to the Panhandle area during specific times of the year and where they go when they leave.

“Is it a temperature thing? Are they following food? Why do they come up here and where do they go from here? And why aren’t they here all year?” said Jessica Valek, Okaloosa Coastal Resource Coordinator. “We are trying to figure out and understand why they come up this way during this specific time of year.”

This collaborative research project between Mote and the Coastal Resource Team is the first step toward getting those answers.

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