A fun pastime on any beach is looking for what’s washed up with the tides. Interesting things can wind up in the beach wrack line — piles of seaweed and seagrass marking the high tide line along most natural shorelines. Depending on where you are in Florida, you may be hunting for shark’s teeth, shells … Read more
Islamorada Mayor Jim Mooney said one of the governing board’s main focuses in 2017 will be tackling traffic issues, a recurring theme for much of Monroe County. U.S. 1 has long experienced lengthy delays due to holidays, community events and accidents, among other things. Mooney said the village is working on two solutions to alleviate … Read more
A comprehensive book, written by a longtime Sanibel resident, which sheds light on the Florida American crocodile, has hit the shelves a month early.Author Charles LeBuff will sign copies of his book Florida’s Crocodile: Biology and History of a Threatened Species from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at MacIntosh Books and Paper, … Read more
One of my favorite activities is fish watching on the beautiful coral reefs of the Florida Keys. To me, parrotfish (algae grazers) are the most entertaining fish species to observe. It’s fun watching them zoom around, using their pectoral fins for propulsion. There are 13 different types of parrotfish found in the Keys. Each one … Read more
While many folks associate cactus with the sand and heat of a desert in the western part of the United States, South Florida and the Florida Keys are home to six species of native cacti. In this week’s edition of Nature’s Corner, we will introduce you to two native Florida Keys cacti: the barbed-wire cactus … Read more
We drive plastic cars, wear plastic clothes, eat with plastic utensils on plastic plates, buy food contained in plastic bottles and put it in plastic bags to bring it to our homes. We are addicted to plastic. In fact, Americans use more than 2.5 million plastic bottles an hour. Unfortunately, not only is plastic a … Read more
The fearsome screwworm is back. Federal officials have identified a small outbreak of the insect, also known as the New World screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), in a population of deer and possibly some pets in Big Pine Key, Florida. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed that the pest … Read more
During the summer of 2015, we joined our queen conch researchers for a day of surveying in the Florida Keys! FWC’s queen conch research program has been surveying queen conch throughout the Florida Keys since 1987, and they perform yearly surveys in order to determine trends in the recovery of Florida’s queen conch population. We … Read more
Most of us have heard the saying, “Build it and they will come.” Can we apply this to attracting butterflies? If so, what are we building? The answer to the first question is definitely yes. The answer to what we are building is a little more complicated. Before you create a butterfly garden you must … Read more
Want to get to know Key West wildlife? (And no, we’re not talking about nightly festivities at Sloppy Joe’s on Duval Street.) If you’re the kind of person who always puts the local zoo on your travel itinerary, or who fumbles over your camera every time a squirrel or lizard make an appearance during vacation, … Read more
South Florida’s coral reef is one of the longest and most heavily visited in the world. Excited crowds head out to this gorgeous, but sensitive, living structure in increasingly greater numbers. How lucky we are to have such a breathtaking natural area on our doorstep. But like so many things, good fortune is tinged with … Read more
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) took immediate action to help the Florida snook population rebound after a prolonged cold spell in January 2010. The cold snap, which led the FWC to close the fisheries, had a much greater effect on the snook population on the Gulf Coast than it did on the … Read more
On Monday, June 13 scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory launched a coral restoration project at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West, Florida with a goal of creating a publicly accessible coral restoration site at the State Park while demonstrating the techniques of current restoration strategies happening at Mote. Throughout the day, scientists … Read more
The following is a sample of some of the Florida Keys Summer Camps. Marathon sailing Summer sailing in Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor will begin with the first two week session beginning June 13 – June 24. Each session will consist of 10 three hour classes in either the morning (9am –Noon) or afternoon (1‐4pm). Younger sailors (5‐8 … Read more
Nature’s Corner is featuring a four-part series in June to introduce you to sharks. We’ll cover a bit of their anatomy and behaviors, some species you’ll see here in the Florida Keys and what dangers sharks might pose. For some people, their perception of sharks make them an animal of people’s nightmares. However, once you … Read more
The Miami Blue Butterfly population once flourished, spanning along the eastern and western seaboards of mainland South Florida as well as throughout the Florida Keys, in the 1970s. The following decade, though, due mainly to heavy coastal development that destroyed its host habitat, the species plummeted. After that time, it was only known to exist … Read more
Key deer were almost hunted to extinction. By 1950, as few as 25-50 of the animals were left. But the creation of the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key and protection under the Endangered Species Act have led to a comeback. The most recent population study estimates the herd at 900 to 1,000. “They … Read more
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary supports one of the most diverse assemblages of underwater plants and animals in North America. Here are simple ways you can have a fantastic time enjoying the Florida Keys while still Protecting the Reef. Protecting the Reef – Keep your distance. Maintaining a safe distance from corals and other organisms … Read more
Pagans wore holly in their hair to ward off evil spirits and gave it as gifts in honor of the winter solstice at the Saturnalia celebration. Christians took advantage of its winter green-and-red colors, removed one ‘l’ and called it holy, comparing it to the crown of thorns and sacrificial blood. But don’t eat the … Read more
The white-crowned pigeon population in Florida is estimated around 7,500 pairs, according to the National Audubon Society. The migratory species is designated by the state as threatened, mainly due to the degradation of its preferred habitat of hardwood hammocks and mangrove islands situated throughout the Florida Keys. At the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge in … Read more