Seagrass

Seagrass beds in Florida

Seagrass is extremely important for the health of Florida’s marine ecosystems.  Seagrass are actually flowering plants which live underwater in marine and estuary waters. Seagrasses are found throughout Florida, and are most abundant in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and in Florida Bay.  Seagrasses also thrive throughout the Florida Keys, and in the Florida Keys … Read more

Boating Impact on Florida Waterways

Florida Bay Seagrass Impact

Boaters can have serious, negative impacts on Florida’s waterways! As the population of south Florida and the Keys grows, boater’s impact on the marine environment will become an increasingly serious problem to manage. Many boaters run aground every year and damage the fragile seagrass in Florida Bay. Some boaters may even need assistance from law … Read more

Roseate Spoonbills

Roseate Spoonbill in Florida Bay

Roseate Spoonbills (Ajaia ajaja) are one of the most beloved birds in Florida, and are an iconic symbol of Florida Bay! Birders and researchers from around the world visit Florida for the chance to see Roseate Spoonbills. Overview Roseate Spoonbills are members of the Ibis family. They hunt, forage and socialize together and often live … Read more

Mangroves in Florida

Mangroves in the Florida Keys are great places to kayak, especially through mangrove tunnels.

Mangroves are an essential part of Florida’s natural environment. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida has an estimated 469,000 acres of mangrove forests throughout the state. This is a very good thing because mangroves are essential to Florida’s environmental health, and to the survival of the state. Where are mangroves located in … Read more

Why do the Florida Keys Smell Like Sulfur?

Sargassum on a beach in the Florida Keys

Some visitors on Florida beaches notice a bad smell, especially in the Florida Keys. It smells like sulfur, sewage, rotten eggs or natural gas. The smell can be overwhelming. The worst time tends to be in hot weather during hot summer months. Visitors often worry that there is sewer leak, or some other contaminate in … Read more

Everglades

Kayaking in the Florida Everglades mangrove tunnel tour

What are the Florida Everglades? The Everglades is a large region of subtropical wetland in Florida. The Everglades form an incredibly complex and fragile ecosystem. The Everglades ecosystem is very large, and covers more than two million acres. The Everglades begin in central Florida and descend to the southernmost parts of the Florida Peninsula. Millions … Read more

Sea Urchins

A man holds a sea urchin, taken from the sea.

Sea urchins are small animals that live on seabeds all over the world. They can be found in a wide variety of water depths, from zero-depth tidal zones, to 5,000 meters below the sea. Sea urchins often have spines for protection from predators, which typically range from 3-10 cm in length. Some urchins do not … Read more