The Beauty of the Emerald Coast

Written by: Erika Zambello, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance 

People are drawn to the Emerald Coast for both our stunning scenery and famous angling opportunities. But do you know how these features of our landscape evolved?

Scenery
Beaches in the Emerald Coast are consistently rated best in the world because of our sugar sand and the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico water. The sand actually originates in the Appalachian Mountains, traveling to the Apalachicola River through southeastern waterways and then moving up through coastal currents. The especially fine quality makes a “squeaking” sound when the sand is dry. 
The waving sea oats atop the dunes work to hold the sand in place. In addition to providing habitat for the endangered beach mouse and nesting shorebirds, dunes protect inland areas from storm and surge damage.
How about the water that the region is named for? Good clarity combined with the white sand beneath the waves creates the right conditions for the emerald shade we all love to photograph.

Angling
The heart of our community is the Choctawhatchee Bay. Freshwater rivers from northern Florida and Alabama drain more than 5,000 square miles, all converging with the bay itself. This fresh flow meeting the saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico creates the brackish conditions of a diverse estuary. Marsh and seagrasses act as living nurseries for fish, crabs, and more, including redfish, sheepshead, and sea trout. Anglers can try their luck in the bay itself, along the edges of East Pass, or within the state and federal reefs of the Gulf of Mexico. With so many fish species and so many diverse habitats, opportunities abound for fishermen and women of all skill levels!

*Photo credit: Sean Murphy Photography

Published on Friday, April 5, 2019