December 2025 Stories to Watch 

  • In South Florida, residents are increasingly reporting concerns about flooding in regions that are documented as having “little to no risk.” Prior to an investigation by the Miami Herald, no city, county, or state agency publicly documented residential flood complaints. Now, the Herald has compiled almost 17,000 flood complaints from more than 12,000 locations across Miami-Dade and Broward counties—producing what has been noted as the most comprehensive map of documented residential flooding in the region. A large portion of those complaints, nearly 60%, come from areas outside of the zones the federal government designated as at risk of flooding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). While this is a major improvement in residential flood tracking, this only shows a partial snapshot. Many floods remain unreported, and there are no standards to help investigators determine the exact cause or severity of the flooding. 
  • While the Trump administration introduced a proposal to allow new oil drilling in the eastern Gulf, Florida politicians on both sides of the aisle have agreed that the plan must be stopped. A strong majority of Floridians oppose oil and gas drilling in state waters, with 69% of voters backing a ban in 2018. In response, bipartisan leaders in Florida united to block the proposal, citing threats to the state’s environment, economy, and military training areas. Eight members of Congress sent a letter to the administration urging it to maintain or reinstate existing drilling moratoriums. The Trump administration proposes offshore drilling to bolster energy independence. Although the Floridian members of Congress support national efforts to achieve this, they are firmly against  drilling off Florida’s coast. The proposal is still in the 60-day public comment period. 
  • Construction of the St. Regis Foundation, set to be the tallest building on Sunny Isles Beach in Miami-Dade County, has raised concerns for its neighbor, the Marenas condo hotel. The hotel has experienced sinking, and officials worry that nearby development could accelerate this process. In June 2024, the hotel installed sensors to monitor vibrations from the St. Regis construction site, prompting a temporary pause in construction. Experts say such neighboring development may be contributing to unexpected sinking in high-rise buildings along Sunny Isles Beach, where a recent study found that more than 70% of oceanfront condos built in the past 25 years have been affected. A recent Miami Herald investigation has revealed that engineers have struggled to predict the extent to which buildings will settle beyond initial estimates. In response, engineers and researchers are calling for better, long-term monitoring and independent assessments to understand the scale and cause of the problem. They argue that improved data collection and mandatory sensor installation could help protect both residents and South Florida’s multibillion-dollar real estate and development industry. 

Florida Research News 

  • The Sargasso Sea—a unique ocean region defined by currents, rather than land—has lost 90% of its signature seaweed, sargassum. This area has historically been a “floating forest” for many marine species, including endangered sea turtles in the area, providing food and protection. However, a recent study published in Nature Geoscience has revealed a steep decline in Sargassum biomass in the northern Sargasso Sea since 2015, a change that researchers are linking to warming waters and more frequent marine heatwaves in the Gulf. Because these floating mats support a diverse array of marine creatures, the loss of the Sargassum in the area threatens the many species that depend on it. While this is worrying, the Sargasso Sea fed into the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, which is now a 5,000-mile-long belt of sargassum. But what this means for wildlife is still up in the air. 
  • Paleontologists have long struggled to confidently determine when and how land-dwelling animals returned to the water, because soft tissue, like webbed feet or flippers, rarely fossilizes. A new study published in Current Biology tackles this by using statistical techniques originally developed for WWII radar signal analysis to analyze skeletal proportions. Researchers, after analyzing nearly 800 specimens, found one specific measurement that stands out as a reliable predictor: the ratio of hand length to lower-arm length. With this, they measured almost 90% accuracy for determining that an animal is likely to have flippers. Their results show that reptiles have repeatedly and independently evolved aquatic adaptations, often earlier and more successfully than mammals. 
  • A portable DNA-recognition device developed by FIU biologist Diego Cardeñosa is transforming how authorities enforce laws against the illegal trade of shark and ray fins. Originally developed in 2018 and recently improved, the tool can quickly identify protected species from tiny tissue samples, giving officers near-instant evidence to stop illegal shipments. Building on an earlier DNA toolkit, the device now detects dozens of species and can even flag unknown species not yet in the database. Shark populations have plummeted by roughly 70% since the 1970s, driven primarily by overfishing and finning, and rays have faced similar declines. Cardeñosa hopes that widespread use of this technology will create a strong deterrent and help curb the illegal harvest of these vulnerable species.  
  • Florida’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) has voted unanimously to approve the addition of 2,000 acres of land in the Central Florida region to the state’s public land acquisition program, Florida Forever. If the Florida Cabinet approves the ARC’s list, the land will be eligible for state acquisition. The property hosts a variety of habitats including pine, wetlands, and bottomland forest. According to Seminole County Parks Director Richard Durr, “this would fill in a major piece along this part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.” 

Good News 

  • South Florida is slated to receive nearly $30 million for environmental restoration efforts, including $20 million dedicated to improving water quality in the Biscayne Bay region. An additional $10 million will support Florida’s Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative. Florida’s reefs have experienced massive loss to stony corals, which has impacted the entire reef ecosystem; however, these funds are meant to help restore a quarter of Florida’s coral reefs by 2050. 
  • A 227-foot freight vessel, the Borocho, was intentionally sunk in the St. Lucie Inlet to form a new artificial reef. This project, a partnership between Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Martin County Environmental Resources, resulted in the creation of the Boo McCulley Reef off the coast of Martin County. The sunken ship will provide habitat for fish and serve as a movement corridor for marine wildlife, while offering new opportunities for fishermen and divers. This will bring new life to the area, and hopefully, help protect marine life. Learn more about artificial reefs from a previous TESI blog post. 

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