Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve (EBAP) staff have been hard at work processing the macroalgae samples collected as a part of February seagrass monitoring. Drift algae abundance is assessed in every monitored seagrass quadrat. In 2016, EBAP began collecting drift algae samples at a subset of repeat quadrat locations. These samples give EBAP important information on species composition, seasonal changes in drift algae biomass and trends over time.
On Sunday, April 12, 2026, the World Mission Society Church of God’s young adult group ASEZ WAO (Saving the Earth from A to Z) joined IRLAP for an Earth Day event to improve the native plant demonstration garden at the Titusville field office. The group weeded non-native and nuisance plant species and added 45 plants made up of seven native species to the garden.
The Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves (BBAP), with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), launched a pilot sponge propagation study in the Venetian Basin of Northern Biscayne Bay to explore the viability of using sponges to enhance water quality and ecosystem health.
Four students from Yale University, Nico Theunissen, Isabella Chiaravalloti, Mingyu Zhang and Rocco D'Ascanio, recently visited Rookery Bay Research Reserve to study the Fruit Farm Creek mangrove restoration site. Guided by Research Coordinator Nerea Ubierna and Stewardship Coordinator Jared Franklin, the team explored both the land and surrounding waters to better understand how the restored mangroves are functioning.
On April 1, Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve staff teamed up with Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) to remove and dispose of over one-half ton of marine debris from the State-owned Cocoplum Mangrove Preserve.
Last week, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) research team kickstarted our biannual Surface Elevation Table (SET) monitoring efforts in the Lower River Marsh. Our small but mighty team collected data at 6 SET sites to investigate marsh elevation trends as part of the Wetlands and Water Level (WWL) program.
The Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve (WRAP) participated in Mead Botanical Garden’s annual Duck Derby, an educational, family-oriented event that drew more than 3,000 attendees from across Central Florida. The event featured three duck races along with a wide range of activities designed to engage participants of all ages in outdoor recreation and environmental awareness.
On March 13, the Florida Keys Aquatic Preserves' Ecosystems Assessment Specialist, Noah Singer, joined the Reef Injury Prevention and Response team as they conducted an assessment of a section of the coral reef in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park that was damaged by a ship grounding. Teams from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Pennekamp also joined the project.
Registration has just opened for Rookery Bay Research Reserve’s popular Student Institute for Marine Science Camp (SIMS). Now in its 20th year, SIMS gives students entering grades 7–10 the chance to explore Southwest Florida’s coastal habitats alongside real biologists from Rookery Bay.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) hosted its annual Spring TOTE (Teachers on the Estuary) professional development training in partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation. GTMNERR also partnered with Awareness and Appreciation Coordinator Maya Bhalla-Ladd from the Coral Reef Conservation Program to debut a new set of educational lessons teachers will soon be able to reserve and take into the classroom.