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CBA Celebrates National Estuaries Week and Annual Celebration
Join Us as We Celebrate Heroes!
This month will be chock full of adventures in the Bay! Not only are we celebrating National Estuaries Week, but we are hosting our first virtual Annual Celebration 2020. What does CBA celebrate at our Annual Celebration? YOU, of course! Our supporters, volunteers, and citizen scientists who make all our achievements possible.
To celebrate National Estuaries Week and CBA's Annual Celebration, we will host virtual events and watershed activities starting September 20th. From volunteer interviews to community challenges, we are here to make this National Estuaries Week one to remember. Check our website for updates on our events and take part in the movement to support CBA as a sustainable CBA Hero! "Like" our Facebook page and "Follow" us on Instagram, we are sure to share some wonderful adventures!
2020 DIY International Coastal Cleanup
CBA is teaming with Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup to ensure swimmable, fishable, trash-free waters in our beautiful estuary. Choctawhatchee Bay is the center of our community whose economy depends on her beautiful waters and abundant marine life. Whether you're a fisherman, birder, paddleboarder, or restaurant owner, you understand the importance of our watershed. We’re empowering volunteers to hit sites in their community where trash is overlooked or misplaced. We welcome everyone in the Panhandle region to participate, as this will be a “Do-it-yourself” cleanup between September 20th – October 31st. Register with CBA for your own International Coastal Cleanup. How will you #CleanOn in 2020?
CBA on the Bay
Is That a Mermaid? Even Better, a Manatee!
We are teaming up with Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the Manatee Sighting Network to help provide information on manatee sightings in our area. Sightings in Northwest Florida are becoming more common; all observations are helpful in population estimates and management decisions. We also see this as a fantastic opportunity for manatee and marine mammal outreach in our area. Manatees will be using the coast to travel to and fro through September/early October, then typically head back south when the temperature dips and waters get colder. We and the manatee sighting network are seeking reports, pictures, and videos of manatees in our waterways.
Photo by Brett McClure
AmeriCorps Making a Splash in 2020
New beginnings are on the horizon as we welcome a new year of AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps and CBA united for a team-building outing on August 20th. Although the thunder was boisterous, that didn't stop a team scavenger hunt through the raindrops. CBA quickly recognized this event as a new tradition to initiate our partnership with each new AmeriCorps class. Now, as a team, we will empower our community to become watershed champions!
News You Can Use
Species Spotlight: Atlantic Tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis)
Atlantic Tripletails reside in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans between Longitudes 45°N to 45°S. They are seen on the Gulf Coast from April through early October and migrate to warmer waters during winter months. They are known for their rounded dorsal and anal fins that match the caudal fin, giving rise to their common name. Their color changes from a juvenile's bright yellow/brown mottling to a darker red/brown/gray mottling. Their coloring, accompanied by their small triangular head, resembles a dead leaf. They use this to their advantage by mimicking a floating leaf on the water's surface to stalk their prey while simultaneously hiding from predators. Atlantic Tripletails are opportunistic, feeding on small fin fish, invertebrates, and benthic crustaceans. Alternatively, they don't have many predators besides sharks and other larger ray-finned fish. We were able to see this juvenile Atlantic Tripletail in action in Choctawhatchee Bay because this species uses the Gulf of Mexico to spawn during the summer months!

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Video provided by Local Living Shoreline Homeowner