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: Rosalie Shaffer
Tel. (850) 234-6541
Fax (850) 235-3559

email: rshaffer@nmfspc.ssp.nmfs.gov