The once sparse manatee has reached a population denisty to neccesitate the reclassification from endangered to threatened. The US Fish and Wildlife Service made the announcement on March 30th, 2017. The official decision Continue reading Recent Decision to Reclassify the Manatee
Category Archives: Species Library
Saltwater Grass Flats Data Collection by the Keys Fisheries Research Team
Data collection like the siene collections we see here are only a small part of understanding fisheries, but still a useful tool. After fisheries data is collected, it is eventually collated into a research article or report. Over time those reports are combined to create articles that explain trends. Then, after a large amount of data is collected, a researcher may even review the reviews, so she can create something called a synthesis, a document summarizing all the findings across the summary articles. These articles and reports can then be used to guide funding related decisions. We must, of course, always consider the limitations of the data.
Honeymoon Island State Park: This beach weather calls for Surfing!
These pictures are from after 3pm this afternoon in between the second and third t-groins at the north end of the park. It was perfect beach weather. The waves started out small, but as the tide started to push in and the swell started to rise, the surf grew, and became quite fun. The beach wasn’t very crowded, which really makes the time at the beach that much more enjoyable. Continue reading Honeymoon Island State Park: This beach weather calls for Surfing!
Injured Loon at Key Vista Nature Park
Today while roaming around Key Vista Nature Park just next to the Anclote Power Plant we stumbled upon an injured loon laying along the bank of Rocky Creek. The Loon is a type of waterfowl like the Anhinga. It appeared to be injured. Even after being tapped with the side of a fishing pole the bird didn’t move an inch. It only rotated its head a bit. It was hard to say what the cause of the injury was. The obvious thing is the fishing line wrapped around its beak, but other injuries could be possible. We decided it would be Continue reading Injured Loon at Key Vista Nature Park
Great Horned Owl Rescued by a Caring and Observant Citizen
A condominium complex resident in Countryside noticed a owl behaving in a strange manner. Owls are usually nocturnal animals, and are typically cautious of humans. It is usually a clear sign of distress of some kind when a large mature bird like this one doesn’t fly away at the first sight of humans. The Clearwater Police Department deputies Continue reading Great Horned Owl Rescued by a Caring and Observant Citizen
Cold Stunns
Cold stunned sea turtles are a common occurrence along the gulf coast. It only takes water temperatures as low as 65 degrees for these cold-blooded creatures to become lethargic, according to Lauren Bell, a marine biologist in sea turtles and aquatic biology at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. “As of now there haven’t been any cold stunned turtles,” she said yesterday evening around sunset. At the time, the water was hovering just above that critical 65 degree mark. Because of air temperature in the mid 30s overnight, the water temperature at Pier 60 has fallen to 60°f as of 6:30am, 10 degrees almost overnight. There is a strong possibility that at least a few lethargic, cold stunned turtles will need rehabilitation this morning.
