2010 Archives
FWC, partners rescue cold-stunned sea turtles
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
December 17, 2010
Recent cold temperatures in Florida left many cold-stunned sea turtles close to death, floating listlessly in the water. Working with staff from county, state and federal agencies as well as volunteers, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists helped to coordinate the rescue of hundreds of sea turtles this week.
Rescuers pulled more than 250 stunned turtles from the frigid waters. The majority of the rescues took place in the Cape Canaveral area of Brevard County. However, rescues also took place in Indian River, Gulf and Pinellas counties.
Most of the sea turtles affected by the recent cold weather in Florida are green turtles, with smaller numbers of loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys, as well as one hawksbill turtle. FWC biologists predict the majority of the affected turtles will survive.
The FWC and its partners worked together to pick up the turtles and transport them to places where they can recover from the cold shock. Sea turtle rehabilitation
FWC rescues young manatee from chilly waters
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
December 16, 2010
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) rescued a young male manatee in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.
The 7-foot juvenile manatee was thin and showed signs of cold stress. This condition, which can result in death, occurs as a result of exposure to water temperatures below 68 degrees for long periods of time. Biologists also were concerned that the manatee was far from any warm-water sites, where manatees typically go to seek refuge from cold water temperatures. Because of these factors, biologists determined that the young manatee should be pulled from the chilly waters of Bayboro Harbor.
The rescue took place just outside the FWRI headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg. Biologists learned of the cold-stressed manatee when a concerned resident reported it.
After the rescue, biologists transported the manatee to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for rehabilitation.
To report a dead or distressed mana
Cold weather may lead to fish kills
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
December 10, 2010
As temperatures drop in Florida, the number of cold-related fish kills is likely to increase. Chilly winter temperatures can lead to fish die-offs in Florida's marine habitats, rivers and lakes.
The good news is that these events are natural occurrences and typically do not cause permanent damage to the ecosystem or to fish populations. In some cases they are even beneficial, in that they help limit the spread of invasive, exotic species.
Fish kills are often caused by sudden temperature fluctuations or by extended periods of extreme temperatures. Such kills can occur any time of the year in Florida, but they are most common in winter, when air temperatures drop. Although water stays relatively warm for awhile after the air cools, extended cold snaps can cause water temperatures in inland water bodies and estuaries to drop. The cold may kill fish outright by cold stress or weaken them so that they are more susceptible to disease. Another phenomenon, called lake-turnover, may oc
Cold weather in early 2010 took toll on manatees
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
December 10, 2010
The cold weather earlier this year led to a record high number of manatee deaths in 2010. From the beginning of the year through Dec. 5, biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) documented 699 manatee carcasses in state waters.
This preliminary data indicates the number of manatee deaths documented from Jan. 1 through Dec. 5 is nearly double the five-year average for that time period.
The "cold-stress" category accounts for 244 documented manatee deaths, which were caused by exposure to low water temperatures. However, it is likely the cold temperatures also contributed to many of the 203 deaths in the "undetermined" category and the 68 deaths in the "unrecovered" category.
The 2010 cold-related manatee die-off was unprecedented in both numbers and geographic extent. A large number of manatee deaths identified as cold-related occurred throughout much of the state, as far south as the Everglades
Help Sea Turtles Survive Every Time You Drive
Source:
Sea Turtle Conservancy
Date:
November 17, 2010
Sea Turtle Grant Program Awards $335,000 to Support Research, Conservation and Education
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA—Each summer, Florida's sandy beaches attract thousands of sea turtles searching for the perfect spot to lay their eggs. But in the past 10 years, scientists have recorded a nearly 50 percent drop in sea turtle nesting along Florida's coastline – home to 90 percent of sea turtle nesting in the U.S.
This worrisome trend has prompted conservation groups, researchers and coastal counties to step up their efforts to help sea turtles survive. Through the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program, which is funded entirely by sales of the sea turtle specialty license plate, groups around Florida are receiving grants supporting education, conservation and research projects benefiting Florida sea turtles.
This year grants totaling more than $335,000 were awarded to 15 different organizations and local governments. The nonprofit Caribbean Conservation Corporation, which administers the
FWC determines fungus caused St. Johns fish kill
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
November 11, 2010
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have determined the cause of a recent fish kill in the St. Johns River. Testing confirmed that a fungus led to the fish die-off that occurred in the river in mid-October.
The FWC received reports of dead fish and fish with ulcers beginning Oct. 20. Reports came from an area of the river just south of Interstate 95 near Jacksonville and as far south as Green Cove Springs. The FWC responded by analyzing dead fish and water samples from the area.
FWC biologists suspected that a fungus called "Aphanomyces invadans" caused an infection, which produced ulcer-like lesions and the eventual death of shad, mullet and menhaden in the St. Johns River. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the FWC's findings when it conducted specialized testing on diseased-fish samples provided by the FWC.
This fungus, which is a type of water mold, occurs naturally
Florida sea turtles have productive 2010 nesting season
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
October 1, 2010
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), all three species of sea turtles that nest regularly on the state's beaches had annual nest counts well above average for the previous 10 years.
This news is especially good for loggerhead sea turtles, which have experienced declines in nesting in recent years. Loggerheads, the species that most commonly nests in Florida, had nest counts that were 30 percent higher than the 10-year average.
"We're encouraged by the high count, especially considering the oil spill and the extreme cold weather earlier in the year," said Dr. Blair Witherington, an FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute scientist. "However, one good year can't reverse a declining trend. It will take many years of data to determine if this is a new nesting trend - obviously one that we would like to see continue in the future." More...
Study: Scientists helped improve outlook for Florida panthers
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
September 24, 2010
A paper published in the journal "Science" on Friday focuses on the long-term efforts of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partner agencies to improve the health of the Florida panther population. Through a process called genetic restoration, scientists have helped increase the population of 20 to 30 animals in the early 1990s to the current population of at least 100.
Genetic restoration involves adding new genetic material into a small, isolated population that has suffered the ill effects of inbreeding. Before genetic restoration, many panthers were diagnosed with heart problems, fertility issues, and low levels of genetic variation. To address these problems, scientists introduced eight female pumas from Texas to breed within the dwindling Florida panther population in 1995. More...
Reminder: Balloon releases take a toll on wildlife
Source:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Date:
September 14, 2010
Reminder: Balloon releases take a toll on wildlife
With the start of football season, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds event organizers and other Floridians about a law prohibiting the release of more than nine lighter-than-air balloons within a 24-hour period.
Balloons released in Florida almost inevitably end up in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean. Wildlife, especially sea turtles, mistake balloons for food, and strings attached to balloons can entangle birds and other animals. The release into the atmosphere of large numbers of balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases poses a danger and nuisance to the environment, particularly to wildlife and marine animals, according to Florida Statute 379.233, passed in 1989. The law provides for a $250 fine for violations. More...
Scientists Release the First Rescued, Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Back into the Gulf
Source:
NOAA
Date:
August 24, 2010
NOAA administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco and Adm. Thad Allen joined state, federal, and partner biologists today as they released 23 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico near Cedar Key, Fla., after the turtles were successfully rescued and rehabilitated from the effects of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill.