CONTACT US: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 727-896-8626 https://MyFWC.com/ BoatingGuides Boating_Guides@ MyFWC.com City of Jacksonville Parks and Recreation 214 N. Hogan Street Third Floor Jacksonville, Florida 32202 904-630-2489 https://JaxParks.com jaxparks@coj.net This project was funded in part by a grant awarded by the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board and Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport). Additional funding for this project was obtained through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Fund.

The coastal waters of Nassau and Duval county are host to a wide range of habitats, both in the water and on land. Aquatic grasses, saltmarsh, mud flats, and oysters are four habitats that are important to animals within Nassau and Duval county's waters. Aquatic grasses, both fresh and salt water, provide shelter for many small fish, crabs, and worms. They also help stabilize shifting sands on the bottom of the St. Johns and other coastal rivers and improve water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles. Salt marshes provide habitat for small fish and crabs and help protect the shoreline from wave action. Mud flats are home to clams, crabs, and burrowing worms, which serve as food for many wading birds and fish. Lastly, oysters, located mostly near rivers, are a popular habitat for sport fish that feed on crustaceans or small fish. Additional information about these habitats can be found under Native Habitats. With its wide ranging habitats, the coast waters of Nassau and Duval counties are also home to wide variety of animals. These animals can range in size from a fraction of an inch-long (many invertebrates and small fish), to weighing 50 tons (100,000 pounds) and 55 feet in length (the North Atlantic right whale). Some of the area's animals are unusual, like the batfish or horseshoe crab. Most live here year-round, while others briefly stop by (white pelican). Residents and visitors to the area will often stop and spend some time watching a wading bird chase fish along a shoreline or a dolphin swim by. There is always something to see in Nassau and Duval counties. Animals of the Coast provides information about a few of coast's residents: birds of the coast, North Atlantic right whale, sea turtles, and Florida manatee. For more information about the habitats of Nassau and Duval Counties and many of the animals that call it home, please visit the following Web sites: FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Johns/Flagler County UF/IFAS Extension, Florida Sea Grant Duval County Audubon Society 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 Nassau and Duval Counties? If so, please e-mail us and include SUBSCRIBE-DUVAL in the subject line.