WaterNotes

Well, it’s official: three months into 2010 and we’re already experiencing our worst year of manatee mortality on record. I know that seems like an extremist statement, but the situation is pretty severe.  FWC’s latest press release updated the totals for mortality, seeing jumps in the three categories I last highlighted: cold stress, unrecovered, and [...]

White sharks in Florida?  I used to answer this question with a quip: “maybe at the Jaws cruise in Universal Studios.” (Oh teachers and their sense of humor.) These big predators aren’t exactly the most common of finds off of our coastlines if you go by what is popularly known of them from most news [...]

The dedicated folks over at the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program are regularly out watching their research pods and groups for behavioral studies on their social interactions and also to learn more about bottlenose dolphin life history.  On occassion, they also get involved in rescue operations. In mid February a team with SDRP noticed one of [...]

One of the truly wonderful things about environmental education in Florida is that it includes a large network of centers, zoos, aquariums, and museums,  with a relatively small community of colleagues. Thanks to organizations like the League of Environmental Educators of Florida and the Florida Marine Science Educators Association I’ve been able to build and [...]

There are many hunting techniques recorded for various dolphin species around the world. As opportunistic and inventive hunters, they’ve found ways to corral and catch many different types of prey using strategies that often involve barriers, physical prowess, and outright deception.  In Australia one group uses sponges as tools; the females carry sponges over their [...]

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s research institute said today that over 100 manatee carcasses were documented in Florida waters following the cold snap during the first half of January.  A full 77 of the deaths are currently attributed to cold stress with several losses of  perinatal (or newborn) calves.   This count beats last [...]

TreeHugger carried some interesting posts this week, and I nearly missed out on this one, detailing the recent sightings of African rock pythons in the Everglades.  Florida already has an established population of invasive Burmese pythons.   Apparently some state officials are concerned that it would be possible for the rock pythons and the Burmese [...]