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NOAA Miami Regional Library at AOMLCreated by Rosalie Shaffer; Updated by Jackie Papke
NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Panama City Laboratory
This database covers St. Andrew Bay, a 69,000 acre estuary located in northwest Florida, adjacent to Panama City (view location map. It is known for its high biodiversity, seagrass beds, and its importance as a nursery for coastal fishery resources, and is a key element in the economy of the area. This database contains bibliographic information on scientific documents and data - journal and relevant magazine articles, technical reports, consultant reports, and private environmental publications - covering St. Andrew Bay from 1951 to 2005. A more detailed description is given below. For more information on the St. Andrew Bay virtual library, please contact Emily Harrell.
Enter what you are searching for in one or more of the following boxes. You may also leave all of the boxes blank to view the entire database. Note that authors should be entered in the format Last, First M. I. (e.g. for Jane Susan Amelia Doe, one would enter "Doe, Jane S. A.")
St. Andrew Bay is a 69,000 acre estuary located in northwest Florida, adjacent to Panama City. It is relatively deep, and of relatively high salinity due to the low freshwater inflow provided by spring-fed creeks. The bay is known for its high biodiversity, seagrass beds, and its importance as a nursery for coastal fishery resources. Due to its role in fishery production, recreation, and related tourism, it is a key element in the economy of Bay County.
This database is the first part of a three-part project that has as its purpose the collection of scientific information on St. Andrew Bay, and the distribution of this information. This project began in 1989 as a library collection. Literature searches were performed, agencies and individuals were contacted, and articles and reports assembled. The citations were gradually entered onto a computer database, using Procite software. In 1993, an indexed bibliography was published. The database currently contains over 400 references. In November of 1998 it became a searchable database.
While many bay systems have been studied extensively, and have the advantage of a nearby university with faculty and students performing research in the estuary, St. Andrew Bay has received comparatively little attention, except for government agencies, free-lance scientists, and consulting firms. Many of the publications cited are considered "gray literature" in that they have not appeared in professional, refereed journals. As a result, much of the literature is difficult to access by means of the traditional scientific indexes. It is hoped that this database will serve as a guide to what has been accomplisned so far in understanding the biota and ecology of St. Andrew Bay, Florida.
Types of documents included are journal articles; magazine articles (if scientifically relevant); technical reports by state, local and federal agencies; consultant reports; publications by private environmental organizations and consortia; and reports by private individuals. Not included are: newspaper articles (although the NMFS Library does maintain an archive of local environmental articles); and sets of raw data. The collection is housed at:
U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA
National Marine Fisheries Service
Panama City Laboratory Library
3500 Delwood Beach Road
Panama City. FL 32408
Collection and Database manager: Jackie Papke
Tel.: (850) 234-6541
Fax: (850) 235-3559
email: jackie.papke@noaa.gov
