The Official Blog of Alabama Water Watch
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”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.
Our second installation of the 12 Months of Aquatic Critters blog series features the diverse group of freshwater fishes known as darters!
Darters are a group of small, slender freshwater fish in the family Percidae (Perch family) that are native to eastern North America. Most live near the bottom of clear streams and “dart” quickly when disturbed or when feeding. Darters eat small aquatic insects (i.e. the critters highlighted in Caddisflies and EPT Friends), worms, and small crustaceans. Some darters are exceptionally showy with bright colors and patterns that rival most tropical fish available at your local pet shop! During the breeding season, male colors become even brighter, sometimes, even expanding to additional parts of the body. For most darters in Alabama, spawning season occurs from early spring to early summer.
There are a total of 80 species of Darters found in Alabama. Of those, several species are federally endangered (Boulder Darter, Rush Darter, Vermillion Darter, and Watercress Darter) or federally threatened (Goldline Darter, Slackwater Darter, and Trispot Darter) under the Endangered Species Act. Furthermore, there are 27 darters on the 2015 Alabama State Wildlife Action Plan‘s Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) List and one species, the Lipstick Darter, is on the Watch List for the SGCN.
We’ll introduce you to some of the rarer species below.
Alabama Water Watch is pleased to announce a 2023 update to the America’s Amazon poster, celebrating Alabama’s unmatched aquatic biodiversity!
The America’s Amazon poster and infographic was originally launched in 2016 from a collaboration between former AWW Program Director, Eric Reutebuch and a friend of AWW, Jennie Powers. Since then, additional aquatic species have been documented in Alabama.
3/3/2023 UPDATE: Printed posters (18″ x 24″) are now available to educators (formal and informal) in Alabama AND the general public. Fill out this form to be put on the waiting list. You will receive a follow-up by email with additional information and payment options. We will process the waiting list weekly with follow-up emails.
Approved educators are eligible for one complimentary poster. All other posters are $15/each. A flat $10 shipping fee will apply to all posters that are mailed up to 3 posters total. Please note these particular donations are not tax-deductible.
Continue reading “America’s Amazon Poster – 2023 Update”