Wishing You a Happy Holidays! | | |
As 2025 comes to a close, we can't help but reflect on another year of building strong partnerships, funding impactful projects, filling data gaps through research and monitoring, and connecting with our community.
You helped us achieve so much this year!
Whether you have partnered with us on grant opportunities, provided your valuable feedback on projects and programs, participated in committee meetings, attended an event, or made a donation to the Program, we want to say thank you for your support!
We look forward to continuing to work with you in the new year – connecting communities to our wonderful bays, advancing restoration initiatives, monitoring conditions across the region, and continuing to make progress towards our shared goals.
| | Join Our Team! Operations Manager | | |
We are currently hiring for an Operations Manager.
Please share this job posting with your network and potential candidates.
The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program’s (PPBEP) mission is to restore and protect the Pensacola and Perdido Bay watersheds through restoration, education, and unbiased monitoring of the health of our bays, estuaries, and watersheds.
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The Operations Manager will provide administrative, accounting, and human resources support, enabling the PPBEP team to execute our mission efficiently and effectively. The Operations Manager will support implementation of PPBEP’s Strategic Plan to grow PPBEP’s administrative and accounting capacity.
The Operations Manager will serve as administrative support to the Executive Director and to the Board of Directors. The incumbent will be responsible for preparing Board minutes, office management, and ensuring compliance with contracts and grant agreements. Primary accounting and finance duties include processing payroll, invoices, grant reimbursement requests, bookkeeping, and coordinating purchasing. Primary duties with human resources include onboarding and offboarding employees and serving as PPBEP’s Benefits Manager.
The Operations Manager is an at-will position accountable to the Executive Director and will support all staff. This is a full-time position that will have regular work hours from Monday-Friday. Occasional evening and weekend work to support PPBEP meetings and events may be required. The position is based in Pensacola with limited travel.
To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, contact information for three professional references, and supplemental questions to info@ppbep.org by 11:59PM CT on December 21, 2025. Please include “Operations Manager Position Application” in the subject line.
| | Intern Opportunity: Education & Outreach Internship | | |
The Education and Outreach Intern will assist with public outreach including environmental education, public engagement activities, content development, marketing events, media relations, and social media and community relations. Typical duties include supporting K12 curriculum development and implementation of the Pensacola Bay Oyster REEF curriculum, training Panhandle Manatee Volunteers and coordinating tabling events, representing PPBEP at community festivals and events, and assisting with event planning.
Compensation is $17.00/hour with an expected work week of 20-30 hours, including occasional evenings and weekends.
To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, weekday availability and writing sample to Samantha Pitts, Education & Outreach Program Manager at smpitts@ppbep.org by 11:59pm CT on Friday January 16th. Please include “Education and Outreach Internship Application” in the subject line.
| | Technical Committee Update | | |
Thank you to everyone who joined our Technical Committee (TC) meeting earlier this month. PPBEP staff provided updates on the Evening for the Estuaries Gala, the Program's Strategic Plan (2025-2030), ongoing projects/programs, monitoring activities, and funding awards. Staff notified the committee of the upcoming CCMP tracker that will enable staff and partners to track the success of action plan implementation and impact.
TC participants also had the opportunity to provide feedback on 2026 priorities and future TC engagement opportunities.
Congratulations to Chasidy Hobbs (UWF) and Kate Dawson (Moffatt and Nichol), our Committee Co-Chairs for 2026!
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Partner Highlight
Happy Retirement!
Jane Caffery & Dana Morton
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This year marked the well-earned retirement of two exceptional partners, Dana Morton and Dr. Jane Caffrey.
Over the years, Dana played a pivotal role in the Program’s National Coastal Condition Assessment and more recently, our Microbial Source Tracking project, consistently bringing strategic insight, humor, collaboration, and a deep commitment to program success.
Dr. Jane Caffery was instrumental in shaping the future of young environmental professionals, advancing our knowledge of estuarine systems through monitoring and research, and helping shape the Oyster Fisheries Management Plan, the Comprehensive Monitoring Plan, and co-leading the Eyes on Seagrass citizen science monitoring program.
Together, their expertise, mentorship, and dedication to moving the needle on ecosystem health helped shape PPBEP into what it is today, and their legacy will continue to guide our efforts well into the future.
Fortunately, Dana and Jane aren't going anywhere so you may just run into them at a Program event soon! Congratulations, Dana and Jane!
| | Support PPBEP at Mountainfilm on Tour! | | Buy your tickets today for Mountainfilm on Tour on January 17th at the Pensacola Little Theatre. Proceeds from ticket sales will support PPBEP and our friends over at Healthy Gulf. | | |
Founded in 1979, Mountainfilm is one of America's longest running film festivals. Mountainfilm is a non-profit organization and festival that celebrates stories of indomitable spirit and aims to inspire audiences through film, art and ideas.
Each year after the festival, Mountainfilm on Tour hits the road sharing the year's most inspiring short films with communities worldwide. Mountainfilm on Tour shows are hosted by various organizations, outdoor retailers, schools and universities, theaters, local governments and individuals. Mountainfilm has been on tour since 1999, extending the festival's reach and delivering inspiring content to audiences around the world.
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Santa Rosa Band CreekFest Celebrates
Cultural Heritage
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PPBEP staff were thrilled to join Santa Rosa Band of Lower Muscogee for Creek Fest 2025 in their newly completed Roundhouse for two full days celebrating Creek heritage and history.
In addition to having a front row seat to the dancing and drumming demonstration, PPBEP staff and OysterCorps talked about our efforts to restore Pensacola Bay Oysters with a live demonstration of oysters’ filtering capabilities.
| | Staff Attend the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference (CERF) | | |
In early November, PPBEP staff attended the 28th Biennial CERF Conference in Richmond, Virginia. The theme of the conference was Estuaries: Tradition and Transition to encompass the history of estuarine research and traditional knowledge while understanding emerging challenges and future opportunities, both nationally and internationally.
In addition to a little white-water rafting, staff presented on the Program’s Pensacola Bay Oyster Restoration Initiative, 2025 State of the Bays report, and the Living Shoreline Assistance Program. It was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues near and far, and to foster collaborations with new partners and other National Estuary Programs across the country!
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| Living Shoreline Program Now Accepting Applications in the Pensacola Bay Watershed | | | | We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Living Shoreline Assistance Program in the Pensacola Bay Watershed. This program supports waterfront property owners and community groups in addressing erosion and restoring habitat across our estuaries. | | |
Pensacola Bay Watershed Upcoming Open Houses
January 21st, 2026; 2pm- 8pm
Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center
913 S I St, Pensacola, FL 32502
February 18th, 2026; 2pm- 8pm
Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center
913 S I St, Pensacola, FL 32502
March 19th; 2p-8pm
Bagdad Community Center
6872 Pooley St, Milton FL 32583
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Attending an in-person open house is recommended when possible. Register for a timeslot or drop in between times listed, though walk-ins may experience longer wait times.
For questions, email livingshorelines@ppbep.org
If you’re unable to attend an open house but would still like to apply, please visit ppbep.org/livingshorelines for more information and to submit your application online.
| | Thank You to Our Estuary Advocate Donors | | |
It’s no secret that the business of the Gulf Coast is — the coast!
Whether it’s protecting our community from hurricanes, drawing tourists to our pristine waterfronts, or creating the quality of life that makes this a great place to live, a healthy coast and watershed is the bedrock of our community.
You can help by supporting our efforts financially, and your gift can be matched by state and federal grant programs that restore and protect our waterways.
We are thankful to our Estuary Advocates for helping to fulfill our mission of restoration, education, and monitoring.
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$10,000 Guardian of the Gulf
Estuary Advocates
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$2,500 River Giver
Estuary Advocates
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$1,000 Creek Keeper
Estuary Advocates
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Newsletter submissions must be sent to info@ppbep.org by the 1st of the month.
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