It’s a bright Florida day as Captain Gabrielle Mercado reverses her Lady Luck Adventure charter boat out of the slip and motors towards the Choctawhatchee Bay. The emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico are just over the dunes in the intracoastal waterway, and she keeps a close eye on her GPS as she moves against the waves.

Every month Captain Mercado collects water quality data and samples for local nonprofit Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA). CBA staff use the data to inform the public about the changing bay and improve swimmable, fishable waterways for future generations.

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