CONTACT US: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 727-896-8626 http://MyFWC.com/ BoatingGuides Boating_Guides@ MyFWC.com Partial funding for this project was obtained through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Fund. Additional funding for this project was obtained from a Discover Florida's Oceans license tag grant through the Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

The Nature Coast is a rich mosaic of fish and wildlife habitats that supplies life-sustaining links in an ecosystem as biologically productive as some of the world’s most celebrated rain forests. From freshwater and saltwater marshes to underwater meadows of seagrass, from the fresh water river to the salty Gulf of Mexico, each interdependent habitat plays a vital role. Habitats along the Nature Coast supply food and shelter for creatures as diverse as the great blue heron and the pipefish. Seagrasses and marshes, most notable among these habitats, contribute significantly to a dynamic food chain that draws nutrients from the bay floor. As seagrasses and marsh plants decay, they provide food for small creatures that are ultimately consumed by fish and larger predators. Bay scallops are a popular targets for anglers snorkelers and divers in the seagrass beds off the Nature Coast. This Web site was last updated on March, 2012. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this Web site, please e-mail us at boating_guides@MyFWC.com. Would you like to receive notices of changes to this Web site and the Boating and Angling Guide to the Nature Coast? If so, please e-mail us and include SUBSCRIBE-NC in the subject line.