Feature Stories by TESI Environmental Communicators
Every month in our Earth to Florida newsletter, readers are presented with a feature story or video created by one of our TESI student environmental communicators. These stories are written with the purpose of helping Floridians better understand issues facing the state's environment and natural resources.
From a timeline of the Piney Point wastewater disaster to an exploration of wildlife crossings, to a review of how trees help in the fight against climate change — our students covered key topics that help us better understand what’s going on in Florida’s environment, and why it matters.
In case you missed them, we've compiled our feature stories from 2022 — perfect reading for holiday downtime.
To pair with the rest of our educational content in each Earth to Florida newsletter, we bring you monthly updates on statewide environmental news. Read below to see what we found for December:
The EPA is seeking to further restrict poisons used to kill rodents. The chemicals used to control rodent populations often also poison higher-ups on the food chain like birds of prey and some smaller mammals. The agency hopes that by limiting the use of these toxic chemicals to certified professionals, fewer off-target species will be killed.
Red tide levels have risen in the aftermath of hurricane season. Different sea animals continue to wash ashore, and red tide’s fishy odor continues to waft across many shorelines. Experts studying the recent detection of red algal blooms in Tampa Bay suspect that conditions will worsen before getting better. Harmful levels of Karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, have been detected near the area where Hurricane Ian made landfall. While hurricanes do not cause red tide blooms, their heavy rains and winds can move nutrient-rich water that feeds algal blooms into coastal areas. Several county officials in Southwest Florida have issued health warnings for visitors and locals.
As a result of tropical storms Ian and Nicole, Jacksonville’s beaches have lost around 2.7 billion pounds of sand. The two storms shrank the beach and weathered the sand dunes that protect the nearby houses and businesses. The storms also washed away about 750,000 sea oat plants, which root themselves in the sand dunes to keep them in place. A beach renourishment is expected to occur within the next few years to bring sand and sea oats back to the Jacksonville shoreline.
A longstanding debate about what Tampa should do with its wastewater remains in limbo. Currently, Tampa pumps 50 million gallons of reclaimed water into Tampa Bay every day, but because of a new state law, the city must end the discharge of wastewater into waterways by 2032. The Tampa City Council is currently trying to formulate a new disposal plan but opposes the mayor’s proposal to inject it into the aquifer, which would mix wastewater with city drinking water sources. An exemption to the law that was requested by the city council has been denied. In January, the city plans to use money already allocated to this project for a workshop that will answer some of the environmental concerns of this situation.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has launched a project to restore more than 100 acres of land and 40 acres of mangrove forest that comprise the largest freshwater wetland in the lower Florida Keys. The project will include removing abandoned roads and constructing water control structures to provide flood protection and help limit the amount of saltwater that intrudes into the freshwater wetland.
FWC officials have voted to deny a proposal that would have allowed the captive breeding of diamondback terrapins. Supporters of the proposal said the measure would have alleviated pressure put on wild populations due to illegal poaching. However, officials said opening a market and lessening the turtle’s protections would only increase poaching and lead to native population declines.
December is the start of the Atlantic right whale calving season, but experts warn that with numbers continuing to dwindle, extinction is a real possibility. Of the 340 right whales along the east coast of North America, only 70 are breeding females. One of the main causes of death to right whales is collisions with watercraft. Several proposals to protect the species are currently accepting public comments.
For years, boat propellers have scarred seagrass in shallow waters, contributing to the seagrass die-off that led to the mass starvation of Florida manatees. In the Tampa Bay Estuary, seagrass acreage declined by 16% between 2018 and 2020. A University of Florida research team’s new AI-powered mapping project will pinpoint scarring locations in the estuary. So far, they’ve already found nearly 24,000 scars. In the next phase of the project, they will collaborate with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to translate that information into boater education and outreach programs.
A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies has revealed that Florida’s reef tract is now shrinking faster than it is growing. The reef tract was nearly stable for 3,000 years until the onset of human-caused climate change led to warming waters and ocean acidification, which can both lead to coral bleaching or death. Researchers have built a model that will help scientists to target restoration work going forward.
FWC officials have approved a no-entry zone in an area where manatees gather in Brevard County, meaning the area will be closed to boats and people. A record number of manatees died last year from starvation due to a lack of seagrass, brought on by poor water quality in the Indian River Lagoon. While projects to restore water quality are still ongoing, officials hope this measure will prevent any further deaths from boat collisions.
In a new study of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers discovered that even small amounts of oil can halt spawning and cut survival rates of Florida’s most beloved fish – the mahi mahi. Previous experiments performed on lab-bred mahi mahi showed similar results, including damage to their hearts, hearing, and vision.
Visit the links below for other environmental stories you may have missed this month!
About 200 species of butterflies migrate through the Sunshine State each year! Learn more about their migration in this video and visit the following link to read about the importance of insects, their decline and what you can do to help: bit.ly/insecteffect.
Ways to Take Action This Month
Each week on our @UFEarthSystems Instagram page, our student Environmental Communicators share simple sustainability actions you can incorporate into your everyday routines. Click the images below to learn more.
Visit our blog posts below to learn more about these topics!
Environmental protection and social justice are deeply intertwined, and we cannot accurately communicate the environmental issues facing our state without acknowledging this relationship. In this monthly Earth to Florida segment, we will share articles and videos that help explain these connections.
Tell Me About is a weekly series on TESI's Instagram channel that explains environmental topics facing Florida and why they matter. Click the images or visit the links below to learn more about exhaustible renewables and monarch butterfly migration in Florida!
Visit our blog posts below to learn more about these topics!
Want to impress your friends with all you know about our beautiful state? Follow us on Instagram @KnowYourFlorida and get to know your state’s natural history and outdoor wonders.Click the images below for fun Florida facts for this month!
About the Institute
Started in 2018, the mission of the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute is to advance communication and education about Earth systems science in a way that inspires Floridians to be effective stewards of our planet.
Each month, a student-led team at the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute curates Florida's environmental news and puts it into context by explaining what’s going on, why it matters and what we can do about it. We hope you enjoy this month's sampling.
