new articles and updates added to the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's Web site

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New

2010 Press Releases and Media Advisories

http://research.myfwc.com/news/category_sub.asp?id=7902

Read press releases and media advisories distributed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute during 2010.

Freshwater Angler Surveys

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=34099

Biologists use angler surveys to collect information about Florida's freshwater sport fisheries. Included here are the latest estimates of catch, harvest and success rate for black crappie, largemouth bass, and sunfish species.

January 2010: Cold Weather Leads to Widespread Fish Kills in Florida

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=34439

The Fish Kill Hotline has received hundreds of reports of cold-related fish kills across the state as a result of the recent cold snap.

January 2010 Sea Turtle Cold-Stunning Event

http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=7919

The unusually long spell of cold weather in Florida in January 2010 has had a big impact on sea turtles. The FWC has been working with staff from county, state, and federal agencies as well as numerous volunteers on a mass rescue effort for sea turtles throughout the state.

New FWRI Publications for January

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=34218

View a list of new FWRI publications added to our collection in January.

Statewide Largemouth Bass Tagging Study on Inland Waters

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=34235

Biologists are asking anglers to be on the lookout for and report tagged largemouth bass caught in Florida lakes.

Updates

Area Contingency Plan (ACP)

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=3482

The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) has partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard to make several of the Coast Guard's Area Contingency Plans, an oil and hazardous material spill planning and response tool, digitally available on CD and the Web.

Event Calendar

http://research.myfwc.com/news/calendar.asp

Are you interested in regional events that involve the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute? Check our regularly updated calendar of events for activities to enjoy.

Fish Kill Database Directory

http://research.myfwc.com/fishkill/

Search the fish kill database for records of fish kills and fish abnormalities reported in Florida as far back as 1972, when the first fish kill was reported to FWRI.

Manatee Mortality

http://research.myfwc.com/manatees/ 

Search a summary manatee mortality database for information by county, cause of death, and date.

Manatee Synoptic Surveys

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=15246 

The synoptic surveys are winter aerial surveys that cover all of the manatees' wintering habitats in Florida

Red Tide Control and Mitigation Grants

Between 2007 and 2009, the FWRI administered a competitive grant program that solicited proposals to evaluate or implement projects exploring environmentally acceptable techniques or technologies for red tide control or mitigation.

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=27877

Red Tide Current Status Statewide Information

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=9670

This summary report of current red tide conditions around Florida includes a map of sampling results and regional status reports. Reports are generally updated on Friday afternoon. Additional information, if available, is provided on Tuesday afternoon.

Red Tide Offshore Monitoring Program

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=31821

Volunteers collect water samples to help Fish and Wildlife Research Institute scientists monitor red tides in Florida waters. Learn about the Red Tide Offshore Monitoring Program and how to become a volunteer.

The Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study is for Everyone!

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=26602

Tarpon anglers are invited to assist Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) researchers by safely and harmlessly removing, storing and delivering to us samples of skin cells of captured tarpon.

New Website Makes Discovering Sarasota County’s Natural Assets A Walk in the Park

SARASOTA – The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) is proud to announce the brand new Discover Natural Sarasota Countywebsite, www.discovernaturalsarasota.org. It is the first time so much information about Sarasota County’s natural assets is brought together to help tourists and residents enjoy Sarasota’s great outdoors and learn about environmental stewardship.  The brand new website is just the beginning when it comes to making this information accessible to the public.  Soon the SCVB will embark on a heavy advertising, public relations and viral/social media campaign to further spread the message of Sarasota County’s amazing natural assets. 

For more information on Green Events go to our web site which is in the process of being optimized as we speak (or blog, as it happens). There will also be a link to the latest Waterford lake program here in the next week including a new plan to help interested home owners plant more native plants in the littoral areas to help improve water quality, improve home values let alone the overall aesthetics. We've come soooo far!

cont'd

The website focuses on authentic Florida experiences and includes Sarasota County’s bays, beaches, the Gulf, parks and preserves, and rivers. It is organized so visitors readily can find information based on their interests. For instance, a drop-down menu under the Wildlife heading takes you to all the great sites for bird watching. Or a visitor can search by activity. Want to find all the places to go kayaking or hiking? Click on those drop-down menus and learn both about the well-known parks as well as little-known gateways. Are you more interested in fishing, horseback riding, or camping? Looking for pet friendly outdoor activities? Or perhaps a great spot for a family picnic? Drop-down menus and articles full of detailed recommendations will send you on your way to great outdoor experiences.

All the natural assets included on the website are managed with the goal of preserving ecosystems while providing access to nature-based recreation. Additional venues, both indoors and outdoors, provide opportunities to learn about the science of nature and the environment. The newly designed “Discover Natural Sarasota County” website went live this week.

 “The Discover Natural Sarasota County website demonstrates a tremendous county-wide collaborative effort of more than 20 people contributing content about 64 different locations in Sarasota County,” states SCVB Director of Marketing & Sales, Anne Zavorskas. “We are thrilled at the initial feedback from the launch of the website and we look forward to making additional enhancements for phase two next year.”

Myriam Springuel, Executive Director of the Science and Environment Council of Sarasota County added, “People come to Sarasota Countyfor its natural beauty but our interconnected eco-systems are vulnerable. By helping visitors and residents learn about and experience the outdoors, we help them care about the natural assets that make Sarasota so special, and thus participate in the County’s legacy of preserving the environment.”

The new website was developed by the SCVB, in partnership with Sarasota County Government, the Science and Environment Council of Sarasota County, and the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. The goals of the website are to stimulate awareness of Sarasota Countyas a nature destination and to provide information about Sarasota County’s tourism-related natural assets.

The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau leads and supports the tourism industry in Sarasota County by providing the highest quality, and most innovative, marketing programs and promotions to ensure the continued growth of tourism and travel from visitors around the world. www.sarasotafl.org

The Science and Environmental Council of Sarasota County’s mission is to promote and advocate science, conservation, and environmental issues in Sarasota County for maintaining and improving quality of life through education, public outreach, demonstration, information gathering and analysis, and special projects.  www.secsc.org

An opportunity to curb Sewage and Fertilizer in Florida

Here's a chance to help keep our waters pristine. From the Sierra Club newsletter

On January 15 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new limits to curb sewage and fertilizer pollution in Florida.  These new limits represent a historic first step toward cleaning up Florida's waters.

All you have to do is look at the green slime covering lakes, rivers, and shorelines during our warm months to know Florida needs to reduce fertilizer runoff, control animal waste better, and improve filtration of sewage.

Florida's polluters are already pressuring the EPA to back down and weaken or eliminate these proposed pollution limits.  We need to take action now.

The change in federal policy comes more than a year after Earthjustice, the Sierra Club, Florida Wildlife Federation, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida and St. John’s Riverkeeper filed a major lawsuit to compel the EPA to set strict limits on nutrient poisoning in public waters.

Now is the time for Floridians to send their comments to the EPA in support of this strong action.  Click here to learn more about the proposed pollution limits and send in your comments today.

Midweek Red Tide Update, 01/26/10

In southwest Florida, Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and Manatee counties.  One sample (out of 5 total samples) collected alongshore of Collier County contained background concentrations of K. brevis.

 

Sampling will continue this week, and complete results will be available in the next scheduled status report on Friday, January 29.

 

Visit (http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=4434) for the Florida Red Tide Current Status Report and select the statewide summary or a region of interest for more information and sampling details.

 

The University of South Florida's College of Marine Science Center for Prediction of Red Tides (http://cprweb.marine.usf.edu) uses coupled biophysical 3-D models to track and predict harmful algal blooms in the southeastern United States.  Various experimental products include Karenia flag maps of bloom locations (http://cprweb.marine.usf.edu/products/karenia-satellite-flags), 3.5 day HAB trajectory forecasts along with nowcasts, which are reports of current conditions, and forecast models (http://cprweb.marine.usf.edu/models).

Red Tide Status Reports, 01/22/10 for the Southwest Coast

SOUTHWEST COAST

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Pinellas, Manatee, Charlotte and Lee counties or offshore of Lee County.  One sample collected offshore of Pinellas County and one sample collected offshore of Sarasota County contained background concentrations of K. brevis.  Two samples (out of 27 total samples) collected alongshore of Sarasota County also contained background concentrations of K. brevis.

 

Samples collected alongshore of Collier County contained concentrations of K. brevis ranging from not present to very low.  Two samples collected offshore of Collier County contained concentrations of K. brevis ranging from present to low. Samples collected offshore of the lower Florida Keys (Monroe County) contained concentrations of K. brevis ranging from not present to medium.

 

Bloom Boundary (alongshore):  A patchy bloom of Karenia brevis has been detected this week alongshore and offshore of Collier County ranging in concentrations from not present to low.  A localized bloom of K. brevis has also been detected offshore of Monroe County, on the northern side of the lower Florida Keys, with concentrations ranging from not present to medium.

 

Visit (http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=4434) for the Florida Red Tide Current Status Report and select the statewide summary or a region of interest for more information and sampling details.

 

The University of South Florida's College of Marine Science Center for Prediction of Red Tides (http://cprweb.marine.usf.edu) uses coupled biophysical 3-D models to track and predict harmful algal blooms in the southeastern United States.  Various experimental products include Karenia flag maps of bloom locations (http://cprweb.marine.usf.edu/products/karenia-satellite-flags) , 3.5 day HAB trajectory forecasts along with nowcasts, which are reports of current conditions, and forecast models (http://cprweb.marine.usf.edu/models).

FWC records unprecedented number of cold-related manatee deaths

The cold period that began Jan. 2 and lasted nearly two weeks continues to impact Florida manatees. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute documented more than 100 manatee carcasses in state waters from the beginning of the year through Jan. 23.

Biologists report that the preliminary cause of death for 77 of these animals is cold stress. Although pending final review, the number of cold-stress deaths exceeds the previous record of 56 for that category in a single year, which was set in 2009.

In addition, researchers note exposure to cold this year likely contributed to the deaths of several newborn manatees, classified as “perinatal.” Researchers continue to recover and examine carcasses, so the total is expected to rise; however, the rate should slow down as water temperatures warm.

The recent cold snap exposed manatees in Florida to cold water temperatures. Exposure to low temperatures over a period of time can cause a condition called manatee cold-stress syndrome, which can result in death.

Since receiving the initial reports of cold stress-related manatee deaths on Jan. 7, FWC biologists have been working closely with FWC law enforcement and partner agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to respond to the high number of manatee deaths. FWC staff members and conservation partners are working extended hours to recover and transport carcasses to the FWC’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory in St. Petersburg. There, biologists perform necropsies, or animal autopsies, on each manatee to determine the cause of death and gather additional data. Some carcasses that cannot be transported are examined in the field.

Since the cold weather conditions began to affect Florida, FWC researchers have worked diligently to rescue several manatees and continue to respond to reports of distressed manatees.

“We are deeply concerned about these impacts on manatees and other fish and wildlife,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “We appreciate all the time and effort being put into the process of documenting the effects of this unprecedented event and ask the public to assist in the effort by reporting dead or distressed manatees to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).”

For additional information about manatee conservation, visit MyFWC.com/Manatee. For more information on manatee mortality research, visit http://research.MyFWC.com/manatees.

-30-

To view this press release online visit http://research.myfwc.com/news/.

Warmer weather is upon us...Sea Grass survey time!

Well at least it’s getting warmer and the cold weather has done a bit of number on the Turtles who were in shock (so were we!) let alone the Manatees and Fishing in general. Good news though is the Red Tide seems to have left this area and is only patchy in some areas of the south.

Sea Grass winter survey is coming up with the instruction day in another few weeks on Jan 30th. Last year we had a good group out, we also found it even more interesting with Rob Wright with Sarasota County giving us an in-depth (no pun intended) understanding of the sea life whilst we were using the multitude of watercraft including Paddle-boards, Kayaks, Inflatables and almost anything that floats. :D Great way to make new friends too!

If you’d like to follow my Water Shed project in my own community and my passion for keeping the Ocean and the Waterways as pristine as possible go to AllardPPC.com my PR Marketing Company and VRAGroup.com that does the Gadgets, Knick-Knacks and Cool Stuff which is better known as Promotional Products, Ad Specialties and Incentives. And Hey I love what I do and it allows me to enjoy my water sports... bonus!

Red Tide status for the SOUTHWEST COAST...

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was NOT detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Collier counties or offshore of the Florida Keys (Monroe County). Four samples (out of 20 total samples) collected alongshore of Lee County contained background concentrations of K. brevis. Four samples (out of 14 total samples) collected inside of Pine Island Sound (Lee County) contained concentrations of K. brevis ranging from PRESENT to VERY LOW.