November 4-6, 2025, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) held an Education Sector Meeting at GTMNERR (GTM Research Reserve). Education coordinators (ECs) from the 30 NERRS across the country spent three days meeting on topics such as the Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) teacher training/professional development program, community partnerships and market analysis/needs assessments.
ORAP and FWC staff completed another successful evening of electrofishing in the headsprings of the Silver River to remove invasive fish. The cool temperature, full moon, and alligator sightings made for a wonderful evening. Within two hours, the boat was full with 72 tilapia and one hoplo. Since January 2025, 647 tilapia have been removed from the headsprings.
The Southwest APs and DEP South District Offices Conduct Cleanups for DEP Stewardship Day
Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve’s (BBAP) water quality team was able to lend a hand during the federal shutdown to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Miami by taking the Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Lab’s (AOML) water quality team to complete their October sample run.
Another successful sea turtle nesting season has ended at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, marking a year of encouraging progress for local sea turtle populations. From May through October, staff and interns worked tirelessly to monitor nesting activity across the Reserve, documenting nests, false crawls and hatchlings to support ongoing conservation and research efforts.
On Oct. 29, 2025, GTMNERR (GTM Research Reserve) and Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve hosted about 70 staff from the DEP Northeast District as part of their team building event.
This week, ANERR research staff were able to complete routine cleaning and maintenance of their 5 water quality monitoring stations. Over time, the PVC tubes that house our water quality monitoring equipment become biofouled from barnacles, oysters, algae, mud, and more. This can alter the conditions within the tube, creating a microcosm that is not representative of the water surrounding it.
On October 25, Noah Singer, Marine Debris and Outreach Specialist, of the Florida Keys Aquatic Preserve (FKAP) team participated in a beach cleanup organized by CoastLove, a non-profit conservation organization in South Florida. He was one of 40 attendees who collected over 800 lbs. of trash in just under 3 hours. Over half the volunteers were youth from the local community!
Guests and staff at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center were in for quite a surprise recently when a Florida black bear was seen (numerous times) wandering through the grounds! One day the bear even stopped to snack from a bird feeder outside the administrative office and literally tore it down before continuing his stroll around the building and back into the woods.
Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve assisted in helping with hardbottom monitoring in Saint Martin's Marsh Aquatic Preserve and in Natures Coast Aquatic Preserve. Sponge, coral, invertebrates and many other aspects are being monitored as part of a 3-year grant project for the area.