Florida’s recreational scalloping season began June 15 with shores off Dixie County and part of Taylor County opening for harvest and those along other Gulf Coast counties soon to follow.
The season for the area of Franklin County through northwestern Taylor County (including Carrabelle, Lanark and St. Marks) runs July 1 through Sept. 24.
This year, Florida Sea Grant (FSG) and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are introducing a newly designed orange and blue scallop sorting tool.
The tool, free and available at select locations, is an orange acrylic square featuring a 2-inch diameter hole. A blue wristband helps secure the device. By comparing a scallop shell to the hole, harvesters can determine whether the size of their catch complies with sustainable practices.
Bay scallops live for about a year and a half. The animals’ peak reproduction period takes place during the fall — after harvest season — so small specimens are generally young animals that haven’t had the opportunity to spawn.
“Larger scallops have already reproduced, ensuring the next generation of scallops, which helps maintain a stable population,” said Victor Blanco, a Taylor County Extension agent with FSG and UF/IFAS. “Measuring scallop size ensures future harvests remain abundant, benefiting the long-term viability of the scallop fishery.”
Habitat loss, water quality issues and overharvesting have all contributed to scallop population depletion along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
In 2022, FSG collaborated with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to develop the first official scallop sorter, a clear square featuring a 1.5-inch hole. Feedback from harvesters subsequently led to the current iteration, which is easier to see underwater and helps preserve more scallops.
Although the FWC does not mandate that scallops reach a certain size before harvesting, the commission does limit how many gallons of scallop shells or scallop meat each person may collect in a day. The amount varies depending on location.
“For harvesters, targeting larger scallops means better quality and more meat to enjoy, as larger scallops are generally more desirable for consumers,” Blanco said. “By preserving smaller scallops, harvesters help secure the ecosystem's health and their own future, balancing immediate enjoyment with long-term resource availability.”
In the Steinhatchee area, scallop sorters will be available at marinas, bait and tackle shops, restaurants, hotels, public boat ramps and businesses that are members of the Steinhatchee Chamber of Commerce. FSG and other stakeholders will also distribute them in Hernando and Taylor counties. Harvesters may contact their local FSG UF/IFAS county Extension agent for more information regarding availability.
Anyone unable to obtain an official sorter is encouraged to make one by cutting a ring out of 2-inc PVC pipe or simply to refer to the bottom of a soda can.
Written with information supplied by Sarisha Boodoo, Florida Sea Grant science communicator. Learn more about the history of the UF/IFAS scallop sorter tool through Boodoo’s blog post.
FSU online exhibit: Scallop gets its closeup
Florida State University’s annual “Art in STEM” exhibition returned in April for a 10th year, spotlighting unique visual artistry created by researchers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines and is available online at artinstem.create.fsu.edu.
This event is hosted each year by FSU’s Graduate Women in STEM, in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences and FSU Libraries.
This year’s more than 40 artworks depict topics including shellfish restoration aquaculture, coastal wetland ecology, parasitology, the impacts of anthropogenic pollution, math modeling of disease systems, virtual reality technology and more.
Morgan Hawkins, an ecology and evolutionary biology doctoral student who conducts research at the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory, is among the students with artwork featured in this year’s exhibition. Her submission, “The Florida Bay Scallop,” is a macrophoto of the stunning, alien-like bay scallop that inhabits Florida’s shallow seagrass meadows.
“It's an honor to spotlight the fascinating world of bay scallops, which are uniquely equipped with over 40 eyes, dozens of sensory tentacles and the capability to swim, in this year’s ‘Art in STEM’ exhibition,” Hawkins said. “This opportunity allows me to advocate for the ecological and economic importance of bay scallops in Florida as well as inspire others to join me in exploring and understanding bay scallop restoration to ensure this unique bivalve persists for generations.”
Florida is one of the only states where recreational fishermen can snorkel in seagrass meadows and collect bay scallops, and as this sport becomes more popular, there is a growing need for restoration efforts in scallop source populations.
Hawkins’ submission to the “Art in STEM” exhibit features a wild adult bay scallop that was collected from local shores and bred in the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab’s Shellfish Restoration and Research facility. This process is an essential aspect of Hawkins’ research on morphological and behavioral differences between cultured and wild bay scallops used in restoration aquaculture.
For more information or to view the 2024 “Art in STEM” Exhibition, visit artinstem.create.fsu.edu.
- Anna Prentiss, Florida State University Communications
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