The Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) is the lead recovery and restoration program serving the tri-state area of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Our service area includes all drainages to the Perdido and Suwannee River Basins in Florida and promotes recovery of all listed aquatic species in those drainages.

About Us

Adam Kaeser holding a Gulf sturgeon
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the nation's wildlife management and conservation agency. The Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, established in 1970, is in the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The office is currently led by Project Leader Chris Metcalf and five additional biologists, as well as two biologists at a sub-office stationed at Eglin Air Force Base. The office is the recovery lead for the Gulf sturgeon and Okaloosa darter. Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office staff conduct research and restoration projects to promote long term conservation benefits for those species. The office provides expertise in monitoring and recovery objectives to upland and aquatic environments for additional listed and at-risk species.

What We Do

Biologists identifying freshwater mussels in Yellow River, FL.
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The Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office designs and implements the monitoring and evaluation of fisheries information to our partners and coordinates our efforts to further conservation in the Gulf Coastal Plain of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office supports a dynamic aquatic restoration program that addresses limiting factors for target species using a threats assessment road map to prioritize key life history bottlenecks, target critical locations, and identify restoration actions for important aquatic resources.

Services
woman holding survey equipment
Fish Passage Technical and Planning Assistance

The National Fish Passage Program provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the ability of fish or other aquatic species to migrate by reconnecting habitat that has been fragmented by a barrier such as a dam or culvert. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists...

Service
Consultation and Technical Assistance
Land Management and Conservation Assistance
Dozens of silver fish swim over a rocky stream bed.
National Fish Habitat Partnership Coordination

The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a national investment strategy designed to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Funds are leveraged through regional partnerships to address the nation’s biggest fish habitat challenges and projects are identified and completed...

Service
Consultation and Technical Assistance
Land Management and Conservation Assistance

Our Organization

Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
Program
Falls Church,VA
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...
Program
A view of the Sacramento River. Its flat, blue water is lined by bright green trees and vegetation. Blue skies are overhead.
The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a comprehensive effort to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. The Partnership is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of conservation dollars on the ground. Funds are leveraged through regional partnerships to...
Program

Our Species

Reticulated flatwoods salamanders are moderately-sized, slender salamanders with relatively short, pointed snouts and stout tails. Their heads are small and approximately equal in width to the neck and shoulder region. They weigh 1-12g. Their bodies are black to chocolate-black with fine, irregular...
FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
Three silver salamanders almost entirely covered with black splotches

The flatwoods salamander is medium-sized, reaching an adult length of 5 inches (13 centimeters). The body color ranges from silvery gray to black, with a heavily mottled back and a variable gray cross-band pattern. The underside is plain gray with faint creamy blotches. The head is small and has...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species

Projects and Research

An Okaloosa darter hovers in clear stream water.
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Working with others is at the core of our operations. The Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation office uses applied sciences and innovative technology to drive today's management practices and enables the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work effectively with our partners to meet today's complex conservation challenges. Whether it is river and coastal restorations, project planning, working with federal, state, non-governmental organization, or private landowners, effective partnering delivers results. Learn more about our efforts currently underway.

Latest News

Freshwater spring
Recreation
Adventures on the Water
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service meets with Florida Paddling Trails Association members to discuss aquatic conservation, species recovery, and watershed barriers in the Florida panhandle.
Biologist in a Florida river holding a Gulf Sturgeon fish.
Wildlife Wonders
New Gulf Sturgeon Short Documentary Film
Gentle Giant, the Mystery of the Gulf Sturgeon is a documentary short film highlighting decades of sturgeon conservation.
Prescribed burn on island
Land Management
Burning for Biodiversity
"BLM Eastern States and its partners conducted a prescribed burn at Lathrop Bayou in the Florida Panhandle with a goal of reducing ground fuel vegetation over 561 acres of public and private land and improving the habitat for imperiled plants and animals." - Eric Dehm, BLM Public Affairs Specialist
Box culvert road-stream crossing
Science and Technology
Navigating Watershed Barriers
Biologists are conducting several thousand surveys in the Ochlockonee River Watershed to assess fish passage barriers and stream habitat conditions to prioritize restoration projects.
Panama City crayfish
Wildlife Management
Draft Recovery Plan Available for Panama City Crayfish
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of the draft recovery plan for the Panama City crayfish. Listed as threatened in January 2022, with a 4,138-acre critical habitat designation, this crayfish is only found in Bay County, Florida. Thought to be extinct, it was rediscovered...
Invasive zebra mussels
Our People
Region 4 Dive Team: Operation Zebra Safari
Region 4 Dive Team members respond to mission critical request to identify invasive zebra mussels in dive quarry within 48 hours.
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Get Involved

Tagging Gulf sturgeon in Cooper's Basin, FL
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Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office provides many opportunities for you to help your community and fish and wildlife by doing what you love. We partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of both urban and rural communities to make a lasting difference. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved!

Location and Contact Information