Latest news with #Floridafishandwildlifeconservationcommission
The Guardian
16-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
DeSantis urged to declare emergency over toxic red tide algae off Florida coast
Environmentalists in Florida are calling on the governor, Ron DeSantis, to declare an emergency as a worsening 'red tide' algae bloom off the state's south-west coast threatens popular tourist beaches and is being blamed for the deaths of wildlife including fish and dolphins. Several counties have issued health alerts in response to the outbreak, which scientists say began in the Gulf of Mexico last year when Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore up nutrient-rich waters that feed the algae. The Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) has been monitoring a sizable patch of red tide, a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by overproduction of the harmful algae Karenia brevis, along a stretch of the Gulf coast. Dead fish have washed up on several beaches, and the outbreak is suspected in the deaths of two dolphins found offshore in Collier county. Red tides can cause skin irritation and respiratory distress in humans and animals, and have become increasingly common in recent years, partly due to a combination of changing environmental conditions, including soaring ocean temperatures, and pollution. In many instances they dissipate by January, but in other years can linger and worsen, such as the severe summer 2021 outbreak that left heaps of fish, turtles, dolphins and manatees rotting on the Florida shoreline. The conservation groups say not enough is being done to tackle the cause of the problem, even though they applaud efforts such as DeSantis's reactivation of a red tide taskforce in 2019, and his signing of a house bill last year extending funding for research. 'While providing funds for engineering solutions, the government has not done a very good job at controlling or fixing polluted waterways,' said Eric Milbrandt, marine lab director of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). The group has previously linked human activity, including toxic run-off from agricultural production, as an aggravating factor in the intensification of red tide events. 'We have a lot of them in the state of Florida, and it's non-point source pollution, so it's difficult to tackle. It's great that the state has been investing in engineering technology, and it does have promise, but it likely would be limited to smaller blooms,' Milbrandt said. 'From a response perspective, it should be kind of an emergency management response like a hurricane. At this point it's reliant on the department of health to post it, the Florida Wildlife Research Institute to collect the samples, and by the time it's affecting a community there's potentially millions of dollars in revenue and tourism economy [at risk]. 'We just want something to happen here. A statewide approach, like an emergency management approach, would be useful.' FWC researchers, in partnership with scientists from the Sarasota's Mote Marine Laboratory, and Florida's department of environmental protection (DEP), share responsibility for red tide mitigation, and point to improvements made under DeSantis's watch. 'FWC has increased routine sampling, added new measurements, and are planning an event response survey with a collaborative team. We have improved communication tools, like creating a series of educational red tide animated videos,' a FWC spokesperson, Jonathan Veach, said in a statement. 'FWC works with partners to produce metrics of severity based on bloom extent and duration. Our agency is not the entity who would make an official declaration of emergency.' Veach added: 'Thus far, while recognizing the current intensification, this red tide bloom is still fairly typical in terms of timing, intensity and location.' A DEP spokesperson said department personnel had been working closely with FWC and health department workers to engage stakeholders and local governments in south-west Florida since the first red tide formations appeared in October. 'Florida remains committed to an all-hands-on-deck approach and continues to monitor the bloom and while remaining ready to assist affected counties,' its communications director, Alexandra Kuchta, said. 'Dedicated funding is available to support local communities in their red tide response efforts, including assistance for this event if necessary, although none has been requested so far. For fiscal year 2024-25, $5m was allocated, with an additional $5m proposed for 2025-26.' Kuchta added that DeSantis had also approved funding for innovative technologies that can be 'deployed immediately to protect water quality and public health from future harmful algal blooms, including red tide response'. A Mote representative told the Guardian that the south-west Florida bloom provided its researchers a first opportunity to 'field test' several mitigation technologies on an active bloom in uncontrolled open water. 'We've made a lot of progress on understanding the lab rat version of this species. The wild type, so to speak, that's out in the ocean can behave in ways you can't replicate in the test tube,' SCCF's Milbrandt said. Meanwhile, a page on the federal Environmental Protection Agency website still online as of Tuesday blamed the climate emergency, especially warming ocean waters, for more toxic and frequent algal blooms such as the one menacing the Florida Gulf coast. 'With a changing climate, harmful algal blooms can occur more often, in more fresh or marine waterbodies, and can be more intense,' it states. So far, at least, the page appears to have escaped a Trump administration purge of mentions of the climate crisis on government websites. Florida already has a law scrubbing mentions of 'climate change' from state legislation, and the University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said DeSantis and Florida 'were indeed the test bed' for similar censorship at the federal level. 'Nothing would surprise me at this point, including efforts by the administration and the polluters who are running it to ban all references to climate change by administration agencies,' he said. DeSantis's office did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
The secret lives of Florida's crocodiles: study reveals long-distance commutes
New research has revealed surprising details about the secret lives of crocodiles swimming through Florida's waterways, including the long distances some travel in search of food and shelter, and their ability to slither unnoticed through populous neighborhoods. The preliminary study provides rare insight into the habits and habitat of the species in a state more commonly associated with its estimated 1.5 million alligators. Florida has a non-hatchling population of about only 2,000 American crocodiles, the researchers say, which made it difficult initially to find and tag a sufficient number of the reptiles in urban areas in order to observe them. What they did find was that each crocodile exhibited more individual behaviors rather than following any systematic routines or actions, although all preferred to stay away from human encounters where possible. 'Crocodiles are a shy species that tend to avoid people. Our tracking shows that they are able to navigate through south Florida's extensive canal system and various waterways usually going unnoticed by residents,' said Vincent Deem, the study's lead author and crocodilian research program leader at the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC). 'This is great news for us as it shows that peaceful coexistence between crocodiles and humans is not only possible, but is the norm.' Deem said one of the surprising findings from the research so far was the distance some of the 15 tagged crocodiles chose to travel. 'Each crocodile we have tracked exhibits somewhat unique movement patterns. Some utilize a very small home range, while others travel far and wide,' he said. 'Several crocodiles we have tagged travel back and forth between both urban and wilderness areas. They are able to swim dozens of miles in only a few days if they want to, so a croc spotted in an urban area today may be out in Everglades national park tomorrow, and vice versa.' The ongoing study was paid for by FWC's non-profit support organization, the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida (FWFF), in the hope its findings can play a future role in how urban planning and wildlife conservation intersect. Wildlife officials have recorded only two confirmed bites of humans by crocodiles, but are keen to find ways to keep both safe. Florida is one of the top two fastest-growing states, and crocodile numbers are also increasing despite their threatened status, pointing to potential conflicts ahead. There have already been an increasing number of sightings of, and human interactions with, crocodiles in recent years, including repeated appearances of one at Melbourne Beach that has been relocated several times but keeps returning to its favored habitat. Residents of one Miami neighborhood this week launched a petition for FWC to remove 'nuisance' crocodiles they say regularly roam areas close to a park and schools. As Florida's cities expand, Deem says, crocodiles are learning to live alongside humans in surprising ways. Crocodiles in more densely developed areas had smaller home ranges, while those near larger natural waterways roamed farther. And with many of the state's inland population centers close to its extensive network of engineered and natural waterways, including canals and rivers, the chances of people living next to resident or transient reptiles without ever knowing they are there are also increasingly high. Crocodiles used certain areas repeatedly, the report says, and traveled frequently to and fro, indicating they have adapted to their fragmented surroundings: 'This indicates that these crocodiles were selectively using these high-use areas while spending little time in the habitats in between these locations, using them instead as travel corridors.' The first crocodiles were trapped in the summer of 2022 in Brevard, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, some in partnership with theFlorida Power and Light energy company and officials of the naval air station at Key West, who allowed access to their lands. Laboratory research, including blood sampling, took place with the help of the University of Florida and the animal advocacy group Florida SPCA. Deem said it was too soon to draw 'strong' conclusions because their work was still at a relatively early stage. A final report and peer-reviewed research studies are not expected to be completed and published until next year. But he said his team was excited by their progress so far, and had produced a video posted to YouTube about their work and its purpose. The footage shows how the reptiles were trapped and tagged, with examples of the range of some of the crocodiles across Florida's southernmost counties. 'We hope that at the conclusion of this study we will be able to evaluate how human activities affect crocodile movements, factors involved in road crossings and habitats that are utilized by crocodiles in urban surroundings,' he said. 'Information from this study can be used by state, federal and local governments to improve management of crocodiles by incorporating land management designs and practices that would promote the safe and sustainable coexistence of crocodiles and humans in south Florida.' Andrew Walker, president and chief executive of FWFF, said the group funded the study partly through proceeds from its specialty wildlife license plate. 'Understanding how wildlife adapts to urban environments is critical to protecting both people and animals as Florida continues to grow,' he said. 'This study provides invaluable data to help us better manage human-crocodile interactions and ensure the long-term survival of this incredible species in our state.'
