The tiniest of tiny baby gecko recently made an unexpected appearance inside the Rookery Bay Administrative Building. The little hatchling was so young it still had a little piece of eggshell attached to its foot when staff found it roaming around inside.
On May 26, the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve staff partnered with Marine Academy of Science and Technology public high school to co-host an end-of-year field trip to Sandspur Island in northern Biscayne Bay.
Adults interested in Florida’s wildlife, coastal environments and conservation can now register for the next Florida Master Naturalist Program Coastal Systems Module offered by Rookery Bay Research Reserve and expert partners. This hybrid course combines online instruction with an optional hands-on field experience. The online component allows people to join the program from all over Florida.
DEP Coral Protection and Restoration Program’s Restoration Projects Coordinator, Katie Gretter, participated in a multi-day, hands-on Coral Spawning and Propagation Course hosted by Nova Southeastern University. The course, developed and supported through Florida’s Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery (FCR3) Initiative, aims to train the next generation of coral restoration specia
Staff from the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserves region coordinated with Florida Department of Transportation, the City of Pensacola, and Wildlife Graphics to install a new informational sign at Project GreenShores Site 2, highlighting the living shoreline project.
Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve staff recently joined Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff for the first documented release of the water hyacinth leafhopper (Megamelus scutellaris), a federally approved biological control agent used to help manage invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) populations on the Wekiva River.
The Big Pine Key Library recently traded quiet reading corners for garden soil as local home-school students gathered for a special “Mangrove Propagule” educational event. Hosted by the Florida Keys Aquatic Preserves team, in partnership with the nonprofit Coastlove, students worked on potting their own little mangroves while learning all about their importance in the environment.
On Saturday, May 2nd, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve welcomed nearly 900 community members to the 2026 Rookery Bay Community Day. This family-friendly event was dedicated to celebrating the connection between people and the coastal environment. It was a picture-perfect day filled with smiling kids, families and hands-on fun throughout the Environmental Learning Center grounds.
The training and engagement team at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve have finished distributing educational items ahead of sea turtle nesting season, which began earlier this month. Staff member Svetlana Vikhlyantseva visited several vacation rental companies with properties on St. George Island to provide items that help visitors and rental occupants understand more about the local coastal ecosystem.
On May 1-3, the Florida Keys Aquatic Preserves (FKAP) partnered with Reef Relief and SeaCamp to host cleanups as part of this year’s I.CARE Trash Derby. The Trash Derby features two days of debris collection, sunrise to sunset, throughout the Florida Keys.