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 on below to see what we found for the month of September:
13 Florida Stories to Watch
- Hundreds of dead fish washed up on Miami Beach in early September as Biscayne Bay again suffered the effects of nutrient pollution caused by septic tank waste, fertilizer and excess pet waste making its way into Florida waterways. Rising sea levels and warming temperatures are exacerbating the problem, which Miami-Dade’s chief bay officer says is “a new normal.”
- Clean water is a big driver of tourism in the state, but this summer the state’s waterways have seen their fair share of problems. More than 100,000 gallons of wastewater leaked from a pipe in St. Petersburg last month, and another 350,000 gallons were released in Panama City as Florida’s pollution predicaments continue. Officials say another wastewater release could be possible at the Piney Point site near Tampa as an independent receiver takes control of the former phosphate plant.
- The red tide bloom that seemingly disappeared after Hurricane Ida now stretches from the Panhandle to Charlotte County. Scientists say this nearly yearlong red tide is an example of how manmade nutrient pollution is causing longer-lasting, more intense blooms. Researchers are testing a method known as clay flocculation to kill red tide cells. A mixture of clay particles and seawater is sprayed onto the red tide algae, making the red tide cells heavier and heavier until they sink to the seafloor. Preliminary testing of the method in a controlled environment resulted in between 80% to 90% of red tide cells being removed. But researchers are still studying how the clay could possibly impact marine food webs.
- Sugar growers have sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over plans for a massive Everglades reservoir that is intended to help revive marshes and the Florida Bay. The project is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which was authorized by Congress in 2000. The sugar growers argue that the reservoir and an attached stormwater treatment marsh will violate a rule in the CERP that requires the Corps to maintain water supplies to farms as it works to restore marshes. But the Corps maintains that it will be able to balance water supply for the environment and farmers.
- Following helicopter surveys of Everglades National Park, wildlife officials worry that time may be running out for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow. This year, no sparrows were found in Shark River Slough, which previously held the largest population of the species and the only nest that was found ultimately failed. There is hope that Everglades restoration will increase the sparrow’s prairie habitat, but much of the park’s western border has converted to inhospitable sawgrass and repairing it will take a decade or more.
- Lake Okeechobee is in crisis following the collapse of 12,000 acres of submerged vegetation. A new lake water management plan that determines ideal water levels for various water users is timed to launch in late 2022. After repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike are completed, the lake will be able to hold more water without threatening the structure’s integrity. But higher water levels could block sunlight and kill the underwater meadows. Experts worry that high water levels will occur too often for underwater plants to recover in the interim
- In early September, the Orlando Utilities Commission reminded customers to be frugal with water as the uptick in COVID-19 cases led to a shortage of liquid oxygen. Liquid oxygen is used to purify water and to remove the rotten egg smell caused by sulfur. The commission asked its customers to limit irrigating lawns and landscapes to help prevent impacts to water quality caused by the liquid oxygen shortage.
- Miami-Dade County rejected a $4.6 billion U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to build flood walls and gates around Biscayne Bay—opting to instead devise its own plan to protect neighborhoods from hurricane storm surge. The move followed criticism that the barriers could harm ecologically important seagrass and other marine life. The original plan was to be sent to Congress for approval in time for the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, but this decision has sent the Corps back to the drawing board.
- A proposed offshore finfish farm plans to continue with its demonstration pen in federal waters off the coast of southwest Florida despite a ruling that prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from granting a permit. Proponents of the farm say the decision simply means one less permit and less regulation of what they believe to be a potential new industry in the Gulf. The farm is currently awaiting a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Opponents of the finfish farm worry about the farm’s environmental impacts like pollution from fish waste.
- Nikki Fried, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, announced a new initiative to phase out the use of polystyrene, or Styrofoam, in Florida grocery stores and businesses. During a visit to Sarasota in late September, Fried said chemicals within polystyrene have been linked to various health effects like hearing loss, birth defects and cancer. Fried added that because the material takes more than 500 years to decompose, the effects linger even after products are thrown away. The initiative is currently in the rulemaking phase.
- Recently, Governor Ron DeSantis announced more than $53 million in new funding to help clean the waters of the ailing Indian River Lagoon. The funds will be used for 13 projects which include the elimination of 3,000 septic tanks and an update to three sewage treatment plants that will allow them to remove more nutrients that spur algal blooms.
- In June, the controversial plan to extend State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway across the Everglades wetlands was put back on the table. Governor DeSantis and his Cabinet rejected a judge’s order that found the expressway did not follow state growth laws. Now, opponents of the roadway extension plan to make an appeal, arguing that should the project go forward, a dangerous precedent would be set for the state.
- An analysis conducted by the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) suggests the Florida Department of Protection was especially lenient in 2020 when it came to enforcing the state’s environmental laws. DEP officials rejected the report, saying no changes were made last year.
Good News
- A mangrove restoration project decades in the making finally broke ground this month at Fruit Farm Creek near Marco Island. The project is an attempt to rehabilitate the area after roads cut off tidal flows to about 260 acres of black mangroves, leading to 64 dead acres and another 159 acres that are damaged or dying. It will be one of the largest mangrove restoration projects in the state.
- Researchers and volunteers with the Florida Museum of Natural History recently counted over 1,700 Schaus’ swallowtails, marking a more than 400-fold increase in the butterfly’s population size since 2012. The population increase comes years after Museum scientists successfully introduced lab-reared butterflies into the wild.
National News
- Emissions from fossil fuels decreased by 6-7% last year, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s State of the Climate Report for 2020, atmospheric carbon dioxide still increased to the highest levels in the modern climate record. Despite the pause in human activity caused by the pandemic, global temperatures still rivaled the hottest, sea levels were the highest on record and atmospheric concentrations of methane reached unprecedented highs.
- When Hurricane Ida made its way through the Gulf of Mexico as it approached Louisiana, it also triggered an unprecedented amount of oil spills. After the storm, satellites detected 55 spills, the most ever detected in the Gulf of Mexico following a weather event since the NOAA began this type of tracking 10 years ago. It is important to note that NOAA’s satellite tracking effort began after Hurricane Katrina and BP’s Deepwater Horizon Blowout, both of which led to millions of gallons of oil being spilled.
Things You Can Do
- Cities across Northeast Florida are taking part in “Lights Out” campaigns to help migrating birds who can become disoriented by urban light pollution. Scientists with the Florida Museum suggest turning off non-essential lights from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., using motion sensors instead of leaving lights on, closing curtains at night and more to help migrating birds find their way.
- Scientists with the University of South Florida are inviting those in the Tampa Bay region to upload images of the mosquitoes they see to the iNaturalist smartphone app. Using artificial intelligence (AI), the app will automatically identify disease-carrying species. Over time, this data will help better inform mosquito habitat and disease prevention maps.
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is seeking input from the community on priorities for the new Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve along the coast of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. The 400,000-acre preserve is home to mangrove forests, salt marshes, oyster reefs and more. While the preserve has been largely supported, there is some pushback from those who are concerned about potential negative impacts on residential canal dredging activities.
Florida Research News
- Apalachicola Bay’s oyster fishery collapsed in 2012 and has not recovered. To help bring back the population, wildlife officials have banned harvest of the organisms in the area until 2025. But researchers from Florida State University are starting to see positive progress after an experiment in August showed baby oysters had congregated on oyster shells and limestone that the researchers provided, possibly pointing to a rebound in their numbers
- People who feel “connected” to water may be more likely to want to conserve water resources, according to new study from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Having an emotional relationship with the commodity was an accurate predictor of what actions people would take to preserve waterways, researchers found
- The behavior of microbes could be an important indicator of water quality, according to a new study from Florida International University. Studying this microbe “hide-and-seek” could help researchers understand and predict low-oxygen events that can lead to coral bleaching.
- Tiny microbes that live inside citrus trees may have the answers on how to win the fight against citrus diseases. This new research endeavor, led by UF/IFAS researchers, will help form a better understanding of plant microbiomes and disease control. The outcome could possibly be an environmentally friendly and sustainable way to control plant pathogens
- The University of Central Florida is one of 11 universities collaborating on a $20 million study funded by the National Science Foundation to develop climate change adaptation plans for coastal communities.
The More You Know: Science Stories for Curious Minds
- Prescribed burns are a routine practice in Florida used to promote new growth and prevent the overgrowth of flammable material. With western states like California facing longer wildfire seasons, officials are looking to adopt fire policies pioneered by Florida and other southeastern states.
- Urine contains nitrogen, which becomes ammonia when mixed with feces, and this waste results in tainted water and airborne pollutants. Scientists are attempting to tackle this problem by potty training cows to keep their waste in a designated area instead of letting it runoff onto nearby land or into waterways. So far it seems that cows can be potty trained fairly easily. A majority of the cows in the experiment were successfully using their “MooLoo” after just 15 days.
- A new study has found that some birds are “shapeshifting” to adapt to climate change, meaning they are getting larger beaks, legs, and ears to better regulate their body temperatures as the planet gets hotter.
- Even in sunny Florida, black bears need to prepare for the winter. In the fall, bears will consume up to 20,000 calories per day to pack on enough fat to sustain them through the winter months. When bears can’t find food in the wild, they may wander into neighborhoods and search through garbage cans instead. In addition to causing property damage, this behavior could cause the bears to become dependent on this as a food source instead of searching their habitats. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is spreading the word about BearWise tips for learning to coexist with bears and secure potential food sources.