Volume 4, Issue 8 Loxahatchee River Photo Contest

January 2010
Calling All Shutterbugs!

The Loxahatchee invited to submit their Selected winning

River District, Friends of
the Loxahatchee River and
the River Center invite you
to participate in the
Loxahatchee River
Photography Contest.
This contest is part of
our celebration of the 25th
anniversary of the
Loxahatchee’s designation
RIVER TIDINGS
photographic representations
of the Loxahatchee River by
the April 1, 2010 deadline.
Categories will include
professional, amateur, and
student photographers.
On April 9 at 7 p.m. the
River Center will host a
judging event open to the
public. The Grand Prize and
photographs will appear,
with credit, in the 2011 river
calendar. These photographs
will also become part of an
educational travelling exhibit
representing the Loxahatchee
River.
For more information
and specific contest rules and
guidelines please visit

as a National Wild and winners in each category www.loxahatcheeriver.org/

Scenic River. will receive prizes donated riverphotocontest.
LOXAHATCHEE RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

Photographers are by local businesses.

Creature Feature-Yellowtail Snapper

Yellowtail snapper
inhabit the western region
of North and South
Atlantic waters. These
popular game fish are most
abundant off the coast of
South Florida and in the
Caribbean.
Yellowtail snapper are
identified easily by their
yellow mid-lateral line and
forked yellow tail. These
snapper have olive or
bluish bodies with yellow
spots on their back and
upper sides, and alternating
pink and yellow stripes on
their lower sides and belly.
Yellowtails spawn
year-round in large groups
offshore. Juvenile
yellowtail snapper inhabit
seagrass beds of estuaries
and near shore waters,
while most of their mature
counterparts live in
schools over reefs between
60 and 300 feet deep.
Yellowtail Snapper may records, the largest yellowtail
live up to 14 years and grow snapper caught in Florida
to 34 inches, or about 9 weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces.
pounds. According to FWC

RIVER CENTER SPONSORS
Florida Power & Light Co.
Holtz Consulting Engineers Inc.
Jupiter Kayak Tours
Village of Tequesta
The Sabin Family
Our annual River Center sponsors
are recognized on our donor wall at
the entrance to the River Center.
Upcoming Events:
Feb. 27, “What Makes A Great Photograph?”
Photography Workshop with John Lopinot,
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
March 5, Friends Meeting, John Cassady -
Manatees 101, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
March 19, Wild & Scenic Loxahatchee River
Tour, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Box lunch provided
March 20, Migratory Bird Garden Presentation
& Volunteer Opportunity, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
March 26, Kids Slumber Party, Ages 7-12,
6 p.m.-9a.m., Pizza, Games, Crafts, & Movies!

www.loxahatcheeriver.org 
 Thank You
Restoring Oyster Reefs in the Northwest Fork Sponsors!
The restored oyster reefs will million pounds, will be deployed
provide space and a hard for the oyster reef restoration.
substrate for larval oysters
already present in the river to The community restoration
settle onto the fossilized shell. project, constructed in 2009, is
These new oysters will already providing crucial habitat
continue to grow into healthy, for juvenile fish, shrimp, crabs Holtz Consulting
living oyster reefs. and for new oysters to grow. Engineering Inc.
Oyster shells were
collected from area
This spring, Martin restaurants and
County and the used to create small
Loxahatchee River District, oyster reefs
in partnership with the beneath the docks
National Oceanic and of local residents.
A t m o s p h e r i c Within the first
year, upwards of 10
Florida Power
Administration, are starting
a large-scale restoration larval oysters (spat) & Light Co.
effort in the Northwest have settled out on
F o r k o f t h e each new shell.
Loxahatchee River, with That is an
plans to create over 3.5 estimated 875,000
acres of new oyster reef
habitat. Contractors will
use heavy equipment and
small barges to deploy a 6 inch This project
layer of fossilized shell across is made possible
Jupiter Kayak
portions of the river bottom. by the American Tours
Recovery and
The proposed restoration Reinvestment
areas are shaded in the map. Act of 2009,
These sites were selected using through the
the best available data and National Oceanic
criteria including: water quality, and Atmospheric
navigation, recreation, depth, and Administration
bottom conditions. (NOAA) and
Oyster reefs are one of the Martin County. It also new oysters! As these oysters Village of
most valuable habitats in the incorporates a similar but larger grow, they could filter over 26
project in the St. Lucie River million gallons of water per day!
Tequesta
river, offering a rich habitat for
over 300 species of fish, crabs, Estuary in Martin County. Over
shrimp, and other small aquatic 20 acres of fossilized shell for For more information about
species. Once established, these the St. Lucie River and this new project brought to you Become a “Fan” on
new reefs will provide a Loxahatchee River, roughly 30 by Martin County and the Facebook!
fertile feeding ground Benefits of Oyster Reef Restoration Loxahatchee River District, visit
for juvenile fish like www.oysterrestoration.com or
grouper, snapper, and ● Large oyster reefs more effectively filter call (561) 743-7123.
snook. estuarine water in the Loxahatchee River,
increasing water quality and water clarity.
Oysters are filter Just go to
● New reefs will provide food and shelter to
feeders, increasing water over 300 species of fish and www.facebook.com to
quality and clarity in the invertebrates, including snapper and
river by taking algae login or register. Then
grouper.
and other particles ● Additional substrate for larval oysters will
search “River Center”
directly out of the water result in larger, more resilient populations. and click on the page
by pumping water ● Oyster reef restoration is an objective of with our logo. Become a
through their gills. In the Comprehensive Everglades “fan” at the top of the
fact, a single large oyster Restoration Plan (CERP) and Restoration
Plan for the Northwest Fork of the page to see River Center
can filter about 50
Loxahatchee River. updates, photos, events,
gallons of water per day!
and announcements.

www.loxahatcheeriver.org