From freshwater lakes to our coastal seas, a rainbow of colors paints the Florida landscape. Scaling from single-celled organisms to 160 feet in length, algae can be the base of the food chain or coat our waterways in toxic slime. Here in Florida, our multicolored tapestry of algae blooms triggers many problems—driving away tourists, damaging …
As sea level rise slowly devours our tropical shores, development is threatening to erode South Florida’s trademark ecosystem: the Everglades. Over half the Everglades has been eaten up already, and if developers of South Florida had their way, soon the rest would be a mind-numbing sprawl of strip malls, eateries, and luxury apartments. The Everglades …
An invasion is slowly advancing toward Florida’s shores: a massive island of seaweed. Weighing over six tons, it’s the latest in a series of algae blooms to plague Florida. While mats of this smelly brown algae have blanketed the tropical shores of the Caribbean before, this year may be the biggest bloom yet—spanning over 5,000 …
Good news about the natural world doesn’t come every day. Fortunately, we have some springtime cheer to pass around. The wading bird nesting season in South Florida was exceptional in 2021. This flighted fauna produced nearly 102,000 nests, making it the second-largest nesting effort since surveys began in the mid-90s. Happily, due to ideal conditions, …
The Florida legislature is once again considering replacing its state bird, the northern mockingbird, with a new and improved candidate. While the legislative session doesn’t start until March, people are already advocating for their favorite, including the icon of Florida itself, the American flamingo. Efforts to dethrone the widespread northern mockingbird with a candidate more …
Flamingos, decked out in jubilant pink feathers, are the belle of the ball. The life of the party, tourists flock to them wherever they are. But among this festive group, there’s a singular species brimming with quirky, delightful traits: the Andean flamingo. One of the six species of flamingos, they’re found along with Chilean and …
Eye-catching and iconic, wading birds warm the heart of even the coldest curmudgeon. As their name suggests, these long-legged birds forage by wading through water. In North America, South Florida is the most important breeding area for these winged creatures. A range of unique species makes their homes here including roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, and …
On a sultry summer night, 12 ships were heading to Spain laden with silver, gold, emeralds, and pearls. Just seven days after setting sail from Havana, Cuba they met a deadly obstacle, a hurricane. Eleven of the ships were lost, over 1,000 sailors perished, and much of the precious cargo sunk to the bottom of …
Odd-looking, yet endearing, turtles have long peppered our myths, fables, and stories. Some Native American societies even had a creation myth based on them, referring to North America as “Turtle Island”. While turtles can live on land or freshwater, they also claim dominion over the sea, where the Poseidon of turtles resides: sea turtles. These …
Dr. Kristie Wendelberger has deep roots in plant conservation and ecology, starting in a literal tale of where the sidewalk ends. Growing up, her dad enjoyed landscaping and gardening in their backyard. One day, he found a large maple seedling growing through a gap in the sidewalk. He intended to kill it, but she protested. …
Read more “Getting into the Weeds: A Profile of Dr. Kristie Wendelberger”
