Florida’s Environment: 14 Stories to Watch for November

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 for the month of November:

14 Florida Stories to Watch

The release of the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, a plan that will revise the timing of discharges from Lake Okeechobee and impact Everglades restoration, is nearing completion. Among other measures, the model will reduce harmful nutrient-rich freshwater discharges into the Caloosahatchee estuary, increase flow south to the Central Everglades, and reduce damaging dry downs on Lake Okeechobee.
Florida anglers can once again catch snook, redfish and trout. After the Sunshine State’s devastating red tide event this summer, catch-and-release restrictions were imposed on these species in July for Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. However, these measures were lifted in mid-October. Redfish fisheries are also being targeted for conservation efforts. The Coastal Conservation Association of Florida plans to release tens of thousands of juvenile redfish off the Atlantic Coast. Members from the association, along with Florida fishing guides, captured adult redfish that will spawn babies, strengthening the natural stocks.
This November, the state reached the grim milestone of 1,000 manatee deaths this year, making it the deadliest on record. And while deaths slowed in September and October, scientists worry that manatees will soon face further challenges, as winter is traditionally difficult for these sea cows. Seagrass cover decreases in winter, and manatees must venture to warmer waters to survive. Officials are even considering supplemental feeding, a controversial tactic, to stop them from starving. And invasive armored catfish — which cling to manatees to eat algae off them, impeding their movement and causing them to expend precious energy — also pose a threat to manatees. Based on these threats and more, congressional lawmakers are pushing to immediately re-list the manatee as endangered.
Florida legislators have proposed a Safe Waterways Act, which would require county health departments to post and maintain warning signs at public bathing spaces that have dangerous levels of bacteria like E. coli. As of now, there are no statutory regulations requiring that citizens be informed of this type of waterway contamination. According to Florida Daily, “Nearly one million acres of coastal estuaries and nine thousand miles of Florida’s streams and rivers are verified impaired for fecal indicator bacteria.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection denied a request by Trend Exploration of North Fort Myers to dig oil wells near the Everglades. The ruling stated that drilling the wells could have negative impacts on water supplies and wildlife in the area, including protected species such as the endangered Florida panther. Another reason for opposition is that the development would be near historical sites on Seminole Tribal lands.
Unfavorable weather conditions in the Everglades led to a low number of nesting wading birds during 2020. Extreme dry conditions early in the year led to a decline in the fish population – wading birds’ primary food source. Then, heavy rains in the area caused difficulties for young nestlings. Leaders from Audubon Florida are hopeful that upcoming restoration projects could help the bird population rebound.
Starting next year, Miami-Dade County hopes to mark the period between May 1 and October 31 as “heat season.” Like during hurricane season, shelters will be made available to residents who can’t safely stay at home, and measures will be taken to educate the community on heat safety and ways to stay cool. Without a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, by 2050 Miami-Dade could go from the current 41 days to up to 134 days a year that have temperatures that feel like 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Even today, many facilities such as prisons and federally assisted housing have inefficient air conditioning systems or no air conditioning at all. This can worsen many medical issues, especially for the elderly.
This November, state and local leaders gathered in Orlando for a conference on energy and climate in Florida organized by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The attendees shared strategies on efficiency, renewable energy, climate change and what it will take to achieve a net-zero carbon future. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried discussed a bill in the Legislature that, if passed, would provide an infrastructure package that she says would help to make buildings, roads and bridges more resilient in the face of climate change. Three Florida mayors also attended the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland to share how their coastal cities are dealing with the impacts of climate change. However, no state administration officials were present.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he would request about $1 billion for a resiliency program aimed at protecting coastal areas from sea level rise. The program would allocate money for Everglades restoration efforts and coastal resiliency during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. But environmental groups remain skeptical. Details of the plan have not yet been made public, and there are also concerns that a portion of the funds will be taken from other environmental efforts such as the protection and restoration of habitats. Critics also worry the plan doesn’t address the state’s reliance on fossil fuels. Gov. DeSantis has also hired the state’s third chief resilience officer, Wesley Brooks, who has served as federal affairs director for the state Department of Environmental Protection since early 2020. Prior to that, Brooks worked for Sen. Marco Rubio (R) and U.S. Reps. Brian Mast (R) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R).
On Earth Day, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced the Miami Forever Carbon Neutral plan that would try to cut down the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by ending natural gas hookups, making buildings more energy-efficient and boosting electric cars. But recently, the city removed several policies related to the plan’s goal to cut down on natural gas. A Miami Herald reporter discovered that the changes had been made following emails with a representative from TECO People’s Gas who expressed concerns about the impact of the plan on their industry. The city maintains that despite the changes, they are still focused on a “long-term net-zero goal.”
Economically important military installations in Central Florida may be in trouble as climate change progresses. At Kennedy Space Center, satellite imagery already shows that the ocean is encroaching on one of the launch pads. Sea level rise will impact infrastructure and increased temperatures could slow down outdoor productivity.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has announced the next meeting of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force will take place at the Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Members of the public are invited to participate in-person or online. View the agenda and register.
The dolphin fish, characterized by its bright color and large size, is in trouble. Recreational landings of the fish, a popular staple at seafood restaurants, decreased more than 68% from 2015-2020. Now, a grassroots group of anglers in South Florida is working to alert federal fisheries managers to address the problem.
Governor Ron DeSantis has allocated more than $481 million on projects aimed at improving Florida’s water quality. The money would go toward fixing leaky septic tanks and aging wastewater infrastructure that contributes to nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms as well as springs restoration, land acquisitions and conservation easements.

The Good News

For the first time since 1973, the Okaloosa darter, a tiny fish native only to Okaloosa and Walton counties, has been reclassified as no longer threatened by extinction. Since 1994, their population has grown from an estimated 1,500 to 600,000.

Things You Can Do

Researchers from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are asking people who live in eight southern states — including Florida — to report monarch butterfly sightings. The data will be used to better understand their breeding and migration patterns. With populations of monarchs dwindling, the butterfly became a candidate for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act last year.
In its efforts to help the Indian River Lagoon, The Brevard Zoo is using collecting used oyster shells to build new reefs. Oyster larvae settle on the shells and build reef communities that help purify the water, decrease erosion and provide habitat for marine organisms. Central Florida restaurants can participate in the program by donating their shells. Email RestoreOurShores@brevardzoo.org for more information.

Florida Research News

Researchers at the University of Miami are trying to combine metals like durable tungsten and lightweight titanium to create a new class of refractory metal alloys that would increase aircraft engine efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
The New College of Florida was awarded a $165,111 grant to fund research on sharks, with a focus on juvenile blacktip, blacknose, bull and great hammerhead sharks in Tampa Bay. The study will evaluate the bay’s role as a shark nursery and also look at the impacts of climate change and coastal development on the aquatic creatures.
In 2020, Florida state officials decided to suspend wild oyster harvesting for five years due to problems in the Apalachicola Bay ecosystem such as increased pollution and changes in water salinity. Now, the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative (ABSI) has developed a recovery plan that will be implemented early next year. The plan focuses on increased monitoring of oysters, habitat improvement, working with fishermen and educating the community.
A 2016 study found that only 19.9% of the land within the urban development boundary of Miami-Dade County was covered by tree canopy. The Million Trees Miami program was launched in an attempt to provide 30% tree canopy cover by 2030 and protect residents from extreme heat. Five years later, the estimated amount of tree cover is still only 20.1%, partially due to damage from hurricanes.
To better understand Atlantic goliath grouper behavior, researchers have developed new types of multi-sensor tags to closely monitor these massive fish. By collecting information on speed, temperature, pressure and light, and by using an underwater video camera and microphone, scientists were able to observe behaviors like hovering and forward swimming, vocalizations or “booms,” and interactions that the fish had with other marine creatures.

National News

The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill will provide billions to address wildfire, drought, flooding and other effects from climate change — the largest amount of money ever spent by the U.S. toward climate resilience. The bill will include pay raises for wildland firefighters, funding for water storage and treatment facilities and resilience efforts for Native American tribes. However, advocates say that another plan, called the Build Back Better plan, would do much more to battle the root causes of climate change should it pass. Though this level of spending on climate resilience is historic, it still falls short of the amount that scientific reports indicate is needed to prevent and prepare for the ramifications of climate change. And, despite these efforts, sales of large oil and gas reserves continue in the U.S.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to list the alligator snapping turtle under the Endangered Species Act as threatened due to decades of overharvesting for meat, nest predation and fishing activities. The alligator snapping turtle is native to 14 states, including Florida, and can grow up to 250 pounds. Approximately 360,000 of the turtles exist in the wild, but officials believe that number could drop to just 18,000 in the next 30 to 50 years without protection.
The North Atlantic right whale population is the lowest it has been in almost two decades with only 336 of the majestic marine mammals left in the wild. The right whale was first listed as endangered by the U.S. government more than 50 years ago after populations were decimated during the commercial whaling era. Recently, their decline can be attributed to fatal entanglements with fishing gear and run-ins with large ships.
The Biden administration has moved to end the Navigable Waters Protection Rule enacted by the previous administration. The rule had removed restrictions intended to protect many wetlands and streams across the country. Until the Biden administration enacts its own rule, the pre-2015 standards have been restored.