FSU Panama City, Dr. Jessica Graham

DR. JESSICA GRAHAM FSU PANAMA CITY

and its waterways. When I was selected as the director of the St. Andrews and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program at Florida State University Panama City, I was truly honored to have the opportunity to apply my experience to preserve and protect the area's most important resource. I was also excited to collaborate with leaders and stakeholders who share a passion for this community

The Estuary Program was specifically designed to be a communitydriven, science-based effort. It takes the approach that we are all responsible for protecting, restoring, and eliminating threats to our bays and the watershed, arriving at solutions together.

The St. Andrew Bay Watershed covers six counties, with Bay and Gulf Counties encompassing most of our interconnected estuarine system. From the springs in the north to the coastal dune lakes in the south, our watershed is quite the gem. The program provides a permanent forum for participants to come together in a neutral environment to review information, agree on priority issues, and work together to find solutions and funding to implement important projects.

These forums are crucial to developing a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, which will serve as a blueprint for action over the next 10 years and be a catalyst for large collaborative efforts across the watershed.

Protecting our beautiful waters and our way of life begins with us. We need your help, and there are many ways to get involved. You can participate in our Community Survey (https://tinyurl.com/ SASJBEPsurvey), follow us @SASJBEP, join an Advisory Committee (STEM, Community Action, and Development & Finance), participate in our Public Input Workshops and outreach events, or give to the SASJBEP Foundation Fund. Donations will allow us to monitor the condition of our bays, conserve and restore important habitats, and encourage coastal stewardship now and for generations to come.

Please visit https://pc.fsu.edu/sasjbep for additional details on this important program. We'd love to hear from you!