To pair with the rest of our educational content in each Earth to Florida newsletter, we bring you updates on statewide environmental news. Read below to see what we found this past month:
Nine Florida’s Environment Stories to Watch
Last year, 19 people died and 82 were infected by Vibrio, a bacterium naturally found in Florida waters that can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening infections. Nora Demers, a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, is studying whether the presence of healthy seagrass reduces the amount of Vibrio in Florida waters. To examine whether this is true, Demers’ team is collecting oysters and their liquor — the name for the liquid found inside their shells. They’ve collected oysters from two locations in Estero Bay, one with healthy seagrass and the other without. By analyzing both the metabolic profile of the oyster liquor and the levels of Vibrio present in their shells, the researchers hope to determine whether the presence of healthy seagrass can lower Vibrio levels in the water, potentially making coastal waters safer for people.
AI has become a tool for forecasters to use during hurricanes. Two notable models have been developed, one by Google DeepMind and another by the University of Miami. Recent tests have shown that AI can outperform current technology in certain areas and use pattern matching to predict hurricane movements. To learn more, read TESI’s blog post.
After hurricanes Helene and Milton, residents in Gulfport who are under the federal flood insurance program are required to rebuild their homes to meet new standards. The rule applies to houses that were significantly damaged, which means they require repairs costing more than half of the house’s market value. For many, the economic ramifications are too high. Some residents end up selling their homes, often for much less than they were bought for. Some Florida lawmakers are reconsidering the rule, citing government overreach.
To prevent more erosion from occurring on the A. Max Brewer Parkway, Brevard County is installing honeycomb-shaped reef arches. This isn’t the first time the county has had to create solutions to mitigate erosion. Last year, they added similar arches to the Ted Moorehead Lagoon House. The county also planted four acres of seagrass and introduced clams to help weaken waves from wearing down the parkway. However, some environmentalists argue that Brevard should instead remove some of the causeways, as seagrass doesn’t flourish in areas with stagnant waters. The newest additions are part of a larger project to prevent erosion in Brevard County.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is facing cuts under a proposed federal budget, threatening elimination of key regional offices in Florida that support work on hurricanes, reefs, fisheries, and coastal monitoring. In response, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released an interactive “NOAA Footprint” map that shows where NOAA offices, research projects, and field operations are located across Florida and the Southeast. Critics warned that slashing roughly a third of NOAA’s budget and shuttering local operations could impair Florida’s capacity to respond to storms and manage coastal and marine ecosystems. The EDF map aims to bridge the gap between budget numbers and real-world impact by showing how staff and infrastructure cuts could ripple through services that Floridians depend on.
Florida is leading the Southeast in electric vehicle sales, with over one in ten new cars sold in the state being electric – a rate above the national average. Sales have surged 42% since last year. The push has continued even after the federal tax incentive in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 expired. Experts say Florida’s flat terrain and mild climate make it especially well-suited for electric vehicles. However, others warn that Florida’s momentum in electric vehicle uptake may slow unless the state accelerates investments in charging networks.
With $41 million remaining from the Volkswagen settlement to spend on electric buses or vehicle projects, Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection has proposed shifting away from electric vehicles toward “new diesel” and compressed natural gas to fuel freight trucks instead. Although the state has already funded 133 electric school buses and 38 electric transit buses through the settlement, the remaining funds may no longer support electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects. Unlike many other states, Florida has been slow to spend its Volkswagen settlement funds—a delay that has raised concerns among clean transportation advocates, including the Electrification Coalition’s vice president of policy and freight.
The New World Screwworm has made an appearance in New Mexico, putting state officials of Florida on guard. Screwworms pose a serious threat to warm-blooded livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, they would thrive in Florida’s warm climate and abundant animal population. If the screwworms make the move to Florida, this could mean a reintroduction to the United States after eradication more than four decades ago. This could lead to economic repercussions for the agriculture industry and disrupt the food supply chain.
In a recent study from Lake.com, Lake Okeechobee has been named the dirtiest lake in America. The study pulled federal water quality data from the country’s 100 largest lakes, though only 46 had enough recent data to be included in the ranking. Lake Okeechobee topped the rankings due to increased turbidity, high levels of phosphorus, and traces of lead. While some believe putting the spotlight on pollution in Lake Okeechobee could inspire action, critics of the list say that the report is misleading. The South Florida Water Management District “argued the study’s methodology oversimplifies a complex system, ignoring years of scientific monitoring and major restoration projects.” They also emphasized that while Lake Okeechobee faces issues with excess nutrients which can cause harmful algal blooms, there are many ongoing and future restoration efforts working to mitigate these issues.
Florida Research News
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a statistical model to forecast the presence of West Nile virus in an area up to six months in advance. The model was built using 20 years of data from Florida’s sentinel chicken program, which regularly tests chickens for antibodies as an early warning for mosquito-borne disease. It uses variables including temperature, precipitation, and land cover to predict virus activity. This advance could shift public health approaches from reactive responses to proactive prevention of West Nile outbreaks. While promising, the researchers acknowledge that future improvements will be needed to integrate more detailed components such as bird movement, mosquito ecology, and human behavior.
The University of Florida has been selected as the new host institution for Breeding Insight, a USDA-ARS–funded “plant breeding accelerator” program that supports public breeding initiatives nationwide. The program uses advanced prediction methods, including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and custom software, to speed up development of disease-resistant, high-yield, and nutritious crop varieties. Currently, Breeding Insight supports nearly 50 species, including 10 major crops that are among the top agricultural products in Florida (e.g., blueberry, strawberry, citrus, and watermelon). Along with plants, the program also supports breeding innovations in aquaculture and honeybee genetics. UF hopes to expand the program to additional Florida crops and integrate new technologies to keep Florida agricultural ahead of competition.
Researchers at Florida International University have developed an AI-based flood model that delivers near-instant simulations and real-time decision support for water managers. Trained on nearly a decade of environmental and weather data from Florida’s 2,175-mile canal system and calibrated against major storms like Irma and Sandy, the model can evaluate scenarios in seconds — compared to the hours that traditional methods require. This speed could be transformative in managing fast-changing flood events. Beyond forecasting, the AI system also recommends actionable interventions to reduce flood impacts. Researchers hope the tool will guide long-term infrastructure planning and strengthen flood resilience by giving water managers a faster, more adaptive way to respond during storms.
More than a decade of underwater sound recordings is helping scientists better monitor and protect red hind grouper, a species important to the commercial activity of the Caribbean. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Institute analyzed over 2,000 hours of sound from a spawning site in Puerto Rico recorded since 2007. The recordings revealed distinct grunts for courtship and territorial defense, showing a shift from more frequent mating calls between 2011 and 2017 to a tripling of territorial calls since 2018—suggesting an increase in dominant males and changes in spawning areas.
Things You Can Do
Harmful algae blooms, such as red tide and blue-green algae, have become more common due to a shifting environment. The Tampa Bay Times wants to hear from Florida residents about how toxic algae blooms have affected their health. To contribute, click here.
The Good News
Bee populations are on the rise in Florida, thanks in part to the growing popularity of backyard beekeeping. The state now has more than 5,000 registered beekeepers — double the number from a decade ago, following a 2012 law that legalized backyard hives. About 92% of these beekeepers are hobbyists, reflecting a national trend toward small-scale, community-based apiaries (bee yards). Their efforts have helped boost Florida’s bee colonies to over 730,000, supporting the pollination of the state’s fruits and vegetables. In turn, healthier bee populations have enhanced crop yields and contributed an estimated $65 million annually to Florida’s economy.
On the 40th annual International Coastal Cleanup Day, 3,000 volunteers in Miami-Dade County gathered to clear South Florida beaches of debris. In addition to preventing more plastic from making its way to the ocean, the volunteers documented what they found, making a valuable contribution to citizen science. Since it was created by the Ocean Conservancy in 1985, the International Coastal Cleanup has prevented 385 million pounds of trash from polluting the environment.