Macroalgae are large species of algae often referred to as seaweeds. When not attached to bottom sediments, they are commonly called drift algae. Macroalgae come in colors of red, green, brown and black, and they randomly wash up… Read More
Your ears are prominently displayed on the sides of your head. But when you look at a fish, you can’t see its ears. That’s because a fish’s ears are located inside its head, right behind each eye. Each… Read More
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
