Productivity in natural systems refers to the amount of biomass produced by living organisms over a given period of time. Estuaries are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, and freshwater inflows are the single most important… Read More
This red tide bloom has been trying for everyone. It is hard seeing our coast, our wildlife, and our economy being impacted to the degree that it currently is. Along with the devastation has come a lot of… Read More
Southwest Florida, no doubt, has an algae problem. Actually it has more than one algae problem. The major culprits at the moment are Karenia brevis (the Florida red tide) along our coast and a couple species of Microcystis… Read More
Vertebrates are animals with a backbone and include mammals, birds and fishes. Considering roughly three-quarters of the earth is covered in water, it should be no surprise that fish are the most numerous vertebrates in the world. According to… Read More
Fish sense the world around them in many ways. While most fish possess sight, hearing, taste, and smell senses, all of which we can easily relate to, they also have sensory means for detecting stimuli, such as water… Read More
Who hasn’t sat in awe, watching large coordinated schools of fish, shimmering in unison through complicated maneuvers with each member precisely spaced apart? These schools seem to effortlessly turn, expand, contract, wishbone apart and then come back together…all… Read More
Perhaps the most well-known function of estuaries, such as Charlotte Harbor, is their role as nursery grounds for growing fish, shrimp and shellfish. Very few marine species spawn in estuaries, but estuaries are used extensively as nursery grounds…. Read More
There’s a common misconception within the angling community that fish reproduction follows a similar trajectory as humans or other mammals. You know the story…fish become sexually mature at a certain age, they reproduce like gangbusters, and then at… Read More
Seagrasses are flowering plants that grow underwater in marine and estuarine environments. In addition to flowers and their seeds, seagrasses, like plants on land, have roots and leaves that do different “jobs” for the plant… that is, the… Read More
Last month, I was asked why there is less natural relief and hard bottom habitats in the Gulf off of Charlotte Harbor compared to areas north and south. Not knowing the answer, I offered to do some research… Read More
