Although the effects of the oil spill are decreasing in Florida, the threat to wildlife remains. Biologists and commercial charter boat fishermen are teaming up to help oil-impacted sea turtles in the waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

In a cooperative effort with Deepwater Horizon Unified Command and partner agencies, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists rescue sea turtles while gathering data to assess the effects of the oil spill on sea turtle populations.

Weather permitting, two rescue boats depart from Destin each day and head toward the eastern zone of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill area.

FWC biologists are working with captains taking part in the Vessels of Opportunity program. Together, captains, biologists and crews have made several trips into Gulf offshore waters to rescue sea turtles and scientifically documented where turtles are found.

Because of their experience getting close to large fish on their lines, these captains already possessed skills that help them maneuver their boats so that biologists can capture the sea turtles with hand-held nets.

Biologists use GPS to record where sea turtles are located, as well as to collect data on environmental conditions at the capture location.

"The methods we are using to find oiled sea turtles will help us understand how many affected sea turtles we are not seeing," said FWC sea turtle biologist Blair Witherington. "This will give us a better understanding of the total number of turtles exposed to oil. The science is essential to assessing effects from the spill, but this does not overshadow our most important mission, which is to rescue as many oil-impacted sea turtles as we can."

Rescuers take any oil-impacted sea turtles found off the coast of Northwest Florida to Gulf World in Panama City for rehabilitation.
Rescue efforts in Florida waters are a continuation of work started by the partnership in May offshore of Louisiana. Recently, efforts expanded to Orange Beach, Ala. as well. While conducting work in these three locations, FWC biologists helped rescue nearly 200 oiled sea turtles.

Partner agencies working with the FWC to conduct rescues include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the non-profit Inwater Research Group, based in Jensen Beach.

As part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, the Vessels of Opportunity program provides local boat operators an opportunity to assist with response activities.

To report sightings of oiled and distressed wildlife in Northwest Florida from Jefferson County through Escambia County, call 866-557-1401. For all other areas of Florida contact the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). For more information on sea turtle conservation, visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle.

Truck bed, with 45-inch alligator that bit man who was trying to capture it.

An alligator crossing the road in Sanford Monday night got a surprise when a man decided to catch it and grabbed it by its tail. But the alligator's surprise was nothing compared to the man's when the reptile whipped around and bit him on the leg and then ran into some bushes.

As if getting bitten once wasn't enough, the man, who officials said appeared to be intoxicated, reached into the bushes to grab the gator again, and it obliged him by biting him, again.

The gator was trying to get to some water when Dirk Alan Willms, 44, (DOB 08/13/65), of 501 Lemon St., Sanford, decided to catch it.

Eventually, Willms subdued the 45-inch alligator and took it to his house. Someone who saw him with the alligator reported it to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, which then called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

FWC Law Enforcement Officer Naomii Tye responded to the call, issued Willms a ticket for possessing an alligator, a second-degree misdemeanor, and then released the small reptile in nearby Lake Jesup. The maximum penalty for a second-degree misdemeanor is 60 days in jail and $500 fine.

While Tye was filling out the citation, Willms commented that he should have cut the gator's tail off and left it where he caught it, and that he had caught several alligators in the past and had never been bitten.

"If someone sees an alligator that they think is a threat to public safety, they should call the FWC. They should never try to catch it themselves, no matter how small it is," said Tye. "As Mr. Willms found out, not only is it dangerous, it's against the law."

Willms received minor punctures and lacerations, and Tye instructed him to seek medical attention to avoid infection from his cuts.

The moral of this gator tale is if something isn't bothering you, leave it alone.

Catching and possessing alligators without a permit is against the law. Violators should be reported to the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if their information leads to arrest.

Social Security reaches almost every family in the United States, and at some point touches the lives of nearly all Americans. It not only helps older Americans, but also workers who become disabled and families in which a spouse or parent dies. Today, about 159 million people work and pay Social Security taxes. More than 53 million people receive monthly Social Security benefits. In 2009 alone, those benefits came to about $675 billion.

In addition to the national impact Social Security has on the U.S. economy, there’s no denying the difference it makes in communities all across America. In neighborhoods around the nation, the benefits paid help more than just individual beneficiaries. These people spend their benefit payments at the local grocery store, the local clothing store, department stores, and mom-and-pop shops. Benefits are used to pay for goods and services that sustain the local economy, keep local farmers farming, local retailers retailing, and local contractors contracting. In some counties, as much as 30 percent of the population receives Social Security benefits and those benefits make up as much as 20 percent of the local economy.

Both at the national and local level, Social Security makes a difference.  The average payment for a retired individual is $1,169 a month, which represents 40 percent of income for an average retired person. The monthly payment for a disabled person averages $1,065. For the widow or widower of a working family member, the average payment is $1,104. These are real numbers that help many individuals make ends meet.

The payments made to beneficiaries help individuals and families to stay afloat. But the byproduct is that these individuals are using their benefits to help keep the economy going.

It’s clear that Social Security makes a difference on a national, local, and individual level.

To learn more about Social Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.