Stephanie Byrne

A tough year for manatees is nearing an end. It’s been the deadliest year on record for manatees and now cooler temperatures could put them at even greater risk. The high number of deaths is, in part, due to seagrass die-off and pollution. State and federal agencies are trying to help the sea cows by […]

A company is helping sea creatures find a home while cleaning up Southwest Florida’s waterways. On Wednesday, the company, Ocean Habitats, was hard at work installing “mini reefs.” One of the installations happened at Bob Carlson’s home on Marco Island. The mini reef is designed to attract crabs, fish and sea squirts while also filtering […]

If you plan on watering your lawn, you should check the calendar first. The City of Fort Myers is now enforcing the irrigation restrictions it put in place to conserve water. Fort Myers Public Information Officer Liz Bello-Matthews said, “this restriction is really only for those who received their water from the City of Fort […]

One environmental group is relieved after it says the state needs more details before an oil company can move forward with projects here in Southwest Florida. Jaclyn Lopez is the Florida Director for the Center for Biological Diversity. She said, “Big Cypress National Preserve is this miraculous place down in South Florida, it’s over 600,000 […]

Christmas trees make great house decor but, did you know, animals enjoy them too? The animals at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary will be enjoying trees in their enclosures after a large donation from the Davenport Nursery and Emfinger Farms. “These Christmas trees provide a natural enrichment, it gives them a woodsy effect, it gives them […]

Environmental groups in Florida are threatening to sue the Environmental Protection Agency. These groups claim the EPA failed to protect manatees from water pollution. This possible lawsuit comes after more than 1,000 manatees have died across the state just this year. Environmental experts say not only is water quality in crisis, but they want those […]

Sanibel’s shoreline is getting protected with help from overseas. Thanks to help from the Dutch government, scientists and volunteers on Sanibel Island installed structures to help oysters and mangroves thrive and slow down erosion. SCCF Marine Lab Director, Eric Milbrandt, said, “what we’re trying to do is plant mangroves and also establish an offshore oyster […]

A report from the Endangered Species Coalition highlights 10 species in its Last Chance report and four of those are in Florida. The species are imperiled due to climate change. On the list this year are monarch butterflies, the diamondback terrapin, the Florida key deer and the elkhorn coral. “This year, the monarch numbers have […]

Manatee County is planning on injecting the industrial wastewater from Piney Point underground. The county said doing so would help crews close the site for good but environmentalists are questioning whether it is safe. All eyes were on Piney Point during the spring when the fertilizer plant was close to collapse. The solution then was […]

A study is underway to find out what’s below the surface of Lake Okeechobee. Think of our water quality and the lake as a puzzle. There are many different pieces that contribute to the big picture. Understanding all those pieces gets us closer to cleaner water. One area that’s getting a closer look right now […]