"The Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve epitomizes the Florida estuarine system; a natural dynamic system that has supported indigenous Floridians for millennia and continues today. These ecological systems provide the best opportunity to study the coastal strand and should continue to be the focus of our best conservation and protection efforts."

Gary Ellis, Gulf Archeological Research Institute

Location:

Wakulla, Jefferson, Dixie, Taylor and Levy counties

Acreage

984,325 acres of sovereign submerged lands

Contact:

Tim Jones
Aquatic Preserve Manager
3266 North Sailboat Avenue
Crystal River, FL 34428
(352) 563-0450
Timothy.W.Jones@dep.state.fl.us

• Download a fact sheet.

• The Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve was established in 1985.
   
• Spanning over 984,000 acres, the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve is the largest aquatic preserve and one of the most pristine places in Florida.
   
• Provides habitat to a wide variety of sea and shore birds including a large nesting colony of frigate birds on Seahorse Key.
   
• Supports a very important commercial shellfish industry including Cedar Key clams, oysters, pink shrimp, and blue crab. This area of Florida is also a popular destination for the recreational scallop season.
   
• The Suwannee River region supports Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and the most viable population of the threatened gulf sturgeon. Big Bend's vast seagrass beds with mud and sand substrates are important marine habitats to this species.