Research, Collaboration + Citizen Science

Over the past nine years, Destin-Fort Walton Beach (DFWB) Natural Resources has built one of the most active coastal and marine research partnership programs on the northern Gulf Coast. Through collaborations with federal and state agencies, university and nonprofit research institutions, the department’s Natural Resources Team has contributed to studies spanning apex predators, protected species, artificial reef ecology, invasive species control, and beach restoration engineering. This summary provides an overview of each major research initiative the department has led or supported.