Management activities at Central Panhandle Aquatic Preserves have been discontinued as of July 1, 2011.

Although the aquatic preserves will remain designated, all coastal education and resource monitoring programs at closed locations have been eliminated. The Central Panhandle Aquatic Preserves office serves three aquatic preserves: Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve, Apalachicola Bay Aquatic Preserve and St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. These areas are no longer actively managed and the resource management, research and monitoring, and outreach and education programs at these aquatic preserves has ended. Permit review by DEP regulatory offices will still be active through the Northwest District office.

Although seven aquatic preserve offices remain open, it is not possible for the remaining staff to absorb the closed programs into the organizational structure.

The following pages describe former management programs which will be restarted should revenue streams improve.

• Ecosystem Science
  
  Ensures science-based management by providing resource mapping, modeling, monitoring, research and scientific oversight. This enables decision-makers to more effectively prioritize restoration and resource protection goals.

• Resource Management
  
  Addresses how the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve and its resources are managed. Resource management is physically done on the resources for which the preserve has direct management responsibility, and by influencing the activities of others within and adjacent to the area and to its watershed.

• Education and Outreach
  
  The essential tools to increase public awareness and promote informed stewardship by local communities. Includes both on and off-site education and training activities.

• Public Use
  
  Public use management focuses on providing public recreational opportunities which are compatible with resource management objectives.

• Issues
  
  The St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve management efforts have been in direct response to its local issues. Issues based management is a means through which any number of partners may become involved in addressing an issue.

• Management Plan
  
  The updated St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve Management Plan has been approved. For more information on the management programs and issues at St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve, please refer to the plan.