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 over the past month:

10 Florida Stories to Watch

  • Brevard County’s Grand Canal muck dredging project, part of a broader effort to improve the Indian River Lagoon’s health, is temporarily paused for a state-mandated manatee protection period from December to mid-March. The initiative aims to remove organic muck from the canal’s floor to reduce nutrient pollution, enhance water clarity, and restore seagrass habitats crucial for marine life like manatees and fish. To date, the project has removed over 426,000 cubic yards of muck, reducing significant amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that fuel algae blooms. With $24 million spent so far, work is expected to continue through 2025. While dredging is not a complete solution to the lagoon’s ecological challenges, it is seen as a critical step in addressing decades of pollution and runoff.  
  • In opposition of a recent legislative proposal, Sen. Gayle Harrell proposed a bill which would focus recreation at state parks, rather than the prior proposal of golf courses and pickleball courts. Based on feedback from the public, and bipartisan backlash over the original proposal, this new bill will require the public’s input on the park project. The bill, proposed by Harrel, will ban sporting facilities and overnight facilities larger than a cabin meant to sleep six people. Instead, it will help to grow “conservation-based public outdoor recreational uses”. 
  • As temperatures rise, South Florida’s native trees are suffering the consequences. In Miami, live oaks and sabal palms are struggling to handle rising temperatures caused by climate change. Researchers from the University of Miami predict a decline in these native species over the next 50–60 years, accompanied by an increase in exotic species. An estimated 41% of tree species are expected to suffer heat-related stress, leaving them vulnerable to pests and diseases. There are many proposed solutions for this, but scientists are hopeful that the trees will adapt in time.  
  • The Miami City Commission is set to vote on discontinuing recycling and scaling back bulky waste pickup. The city has cited high contamination rates in recyclable waste and outdated machinery which have significantly increased costs. Proposed measures include eliminating recycling services and reducing bulky waste pickups from weekly to less frequent schedules, citing misuse of the service by contractors. Additionally, the city plans to impose size limits on large residential trash items eligible for collection. If approved, the proposals will require a final vote, likely in January 2025.  
  • In April of this year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection filed an intent to issue a permit to a Louisiana-based company to drill an exploratory well near the Apalachicola river. Shortly after, the nonprofit organization Apalachicola Riverkeeper filed a legal challenge against the agency, citing potential harm to the Apalachicola river basin and surrounding areas. As hearings began this month, protestors in support of Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s challenge flooded to the Florida capitol to make their voices heard. Meanwhile, those who support the proposal argue that the threat to the environment will be minimal. But environmental activists aren’t the only ones concerned about potential ramifications. The Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association, which represents a large contingent of shellfish farmers in Northwest Florida, has concerns that the environmental ramifications of the project could stunt seafood harvests. Even if harvests are unaffected, executive director Adrianne Johnson states that it’s “bad marketing,” as the public might be wary of eating shellfish from potentially contaminated water.  
  • In response to the increasing strength of hurricanes due to climate change, the Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Electric hosted a panel to discuss the need for infrastructure changes. Panel participants highlighted 821 issues to combat before the next hurricane season. Some of these issues include the preemptive set-up of crew members to expedite power restoration after outages, enhancing community awareness of outdated flood risk assessments, using natural gas and solar power instead of coal, and investing in wastewater infrastructure. 
  • South Florida water management officials recently approved a breeding program to protect the endangered Everglades sparrow. Recently, their habitat has been threatened due to rising sea levels which has caused flooding in critical nesting areas. Previously, environmental efforts to protect this area involved the installation of floodgates to prevent marshland damage. Unfortunately, this caused higher water levels upstream, leading to wildlife and tree damage in those areas. This new program aims to protect the Everglades sparrow without compromising the upstream ecosystem and is estimated to cost a little more than $584,000 over the next five years. 
  • As the effects of climate change become increasingly visible in the state of Florida, experts are wondering how it will affect the Everglades. According to researchers, alligators might give us a clue. Alligators are an “indicator species,” as they are particularly sensitive to environmental changes. This makes them a good barometer for how other species in the Everglades will adapt to conditions such as rising temperatures and sea level rise over time. Research is ongoing, though some experts have already observed that warming waters may be driving alligators to expand their range northward.  
  • Manatee news roundup:
    • According to recent data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), baby manatee deaths have declined this month from September’s 30% to 28%. Although 2024 has shown an increase in their mortality compared to the past two years, these numbers could actually signal a recovery compared to 2021’s high mortality event, as it indicates that more manatees are reproducing. 
    • Manatees are considered an iconic native species of Florida, but archaeological evidence suggests that this may have not always been the case. New research suggests that manatees were once only occasional visitors to Florida waters. Scientists hypothesize that due to the “Little Ice Age”, a period of decreased temperatures from the 1300s to 1800s, manatees found Florida’s waters too cool for comfort, keeping the populations primarily in the Cuban and Caribbean ecosystems.
    • Floridians should note that as the weather gets colder, sea cows are traveling inland, seeking out warm-water shelters rivers and springs at temperatures at or above 68 degrees. Because they take refuge in areas frequently used for recreation, boat strikes tend to increase during this time of year. Boaters should take precautions such as watching for seasonal speed zone changes, avoiding shallow seagrass beds and looking for swirling water.