The Official Blog of Alabama Water Watch
By: Rachel McGuire
Alabama has approximately 57 miles of Gulf Coast beachfront and just over 600 miles of estuary and tidal coastline, providing plenty of opportunities for marine sportfishing. A hotspot for saltwater fishing is in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach that is known as the “Red Snapper capital of the World.” Fort Morgan is known for its premiere redfish fishery.
Continue reading “Marine Sportfish”by: Rachel McGuire
Alabama is known for its freshwater sportfishing scene. Sportfish, otherwise known as game species, are types of fish that are prized by anglers for the sport, and not exclusively for consumption.
Alabama sportfish can be divided into the following major groups: black bass, bream (or sunfish), crappie, temperate bass, pickerel, perch, and trout.
On June 6-7, 2023, a new cohort of educators gathered at the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana to complete their certification as 4-H Alabama Water Watch (AWW) Educators who will conduct bacteriological monitoring with their students in the coming school year. This is the second cohort of educators to be part of this NOAA BWET-funded project, which started with the first cohort in 2021.
Citizen science, or community science, is a field that has seen noticeable expansion and growing relevancy in recent years. Water quality monitoring programs are some of the most established citizen science programs in the U.S., and each program is unique in how it is organized, taught, the utility of and the parameters collected, data entry and activation, and more. These programs educate residents and empower them with a language that links land use decisions, climate, water quality, and overall ecosystem health.
Continue reading “AWW at the 2023 National Monitoring Conference”
by: Rachel McGuire
Alabama is home to 49 species of snakes, 12 of which are considered aquatic. Snakes are legless, carnivorous reptiles covered in overlapping scales. While most snakes lay eggs, the aquatic snakes of Alabama are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. Snakes also shed their outer layer of skin periodically as they grow. Sometimes you can find the snake shed off a trail, near a creek, or simply on the forest floor.
Snakes may instill fear in many people; however, it is important to remember they are important members of our native wildlife community and serve a function to our precious ecosystems. When encountering a wild snake, be sure to give space, respect, and appreciation.
Continue reading “Aquatic Snakes & Gators”The fourth installment of our 12 Months of Aquatic Critters Blog Series is: freshwater turtles! Alabama is home to 31 species of freshwater turtles. That’s more than any other state!
Turtles have roamed the Earth for 220 million years. This diverse, but easily recognizable, group of reptiles has several common traits. All turtle species : 1) have a bony or leathery shell 2) have ribs fused to their shell and specialized neck muscles to ventilate their lungs 3) lack teeth and instead have a bony beak like modern birds and 4) are oviparous (meaning they lay eggs).
In all Alabama turtle species, the females dig a nest cavity with their hind feet. Turtles are long-lived creatures, with many species living 60-80 years or more. Females never lose their fertility, despite their longevity. Sexual dimorphism, or noticeable physical differences between males and females, is present in most turtle species. In fact, it is common for the females to grow larger than the males.
Humans have a long history of using turtles as a food source and, more recently, exploit turtles for the pet trade and hobby collections. Turtles win hearts regularly with their sheepish, yet oftentimes stately appearance. Just look at this face:
Read on for more facts about some of the turtle species that call Alabama home:
Continue reading “Freshwater Turtles”
Written by: Rachel McGuire
Our third installment of the 12 Months of Aquatic Critters blog series is Aquatic Amphibians! Amphibians are small vertebrates that need water or a moist environment to survive. This group of critters breathes and absorbs water through thin skin. The vast majority of amphibian larvae are aquatic and undergo metamorphosis (there are several forms!) to become terrestrial, semi-terrestrial, or aquatic adults.
AWW Staff and Volunteer Trainers have started off a strong 2023 Monitoring Training Season with nearly a dozen trainings including recertifications, full certifications, large trainings, and one-on-one sessions for over 170 monitors! Read on for a recap of staff-led trainings!
AWW Program Staffers Mona and Sydney, along with former AWW Director Dr. Bill Deutsch, had a great few days learning and exploring at the 2023 Environmental Education Association of Alabama Conference at Lake Point State Park in Eufaula, AL in early February.
The EEAA Conference was a great opportunity to meet and network with amazing environmental educators across Alabama, and to learn new and exciting ways to teach kids (and adults!) about environmental stewardship. Take a look at a few of the conference highlights below.
Continue reading “AWW @ EEAA 2023”Alabama Water Watch will be celebrating native aquatic critters each month throughout the year of 2023! From the vastly underrated freshwater snails to the popular and stately sea turtles, we will take you on a journey through the various aquatic amphibians, fishes, insects, mammals, mollusks, and reptiles, that call Alabama home.
HERE’S THE SCHEDULE:
January – Caddisflies and EPT Friends
February – Darters
March – Aquatic Amphibians
April – Freshwater Turtles
May – Snakes & Gators
June – Freshwater Sportfish
July – Marine Sportfish
August – Freshwater Mussels
September – Saltwater Turtles
October – Freshwater Snails
November – Crayfish
December – Aquatic Mammals
Do you have photos or videos of darters of aquatic wildlife in Alabama? If so, share them with us using the AWW Photo/Video Submission form.