Stephanie Byrne

A new report released Wednesday showed it would be too expensive to protect homes in the Keys as sea levels rise, but how does that apply to our area? The Keys aren’t the only islands keeping an eye on water levels. “As sea level rises, that makes areas on Sanibel more vulnerable,” said the island’s […]

Could the secret to preventing some cancers be under Florida waters? University of Florida scientists think if you eat a certain kind of seaweed, you may get ahead of some deadly diseases. Right now, their work is making strides, but still has a long way to go. Mark Katsnelson from Naples enjoys sipping and sitting […]

It’s that time again when people start to migrate south for the winter. “It just started snowing up in Minnesota, so even though it’s a little cold for the Floridians, I’m enjoying the weather,” said Rachel Covi from Minnesota. But as the people make their way toward SWFL, so do our flippered friends. “This is […]

A small fish could provide researchers with big clues to what’s happening in our water in Southwest Florida. The question they are trying to answer: Why are some female mosquitofish in local waterways developing male features? And the biggest worry is that whatever is causing this may also hurt humans. FGCU researchers are looking for […]

It is no surprise why folks call Southwest Florida home for the holidays even with all those reports of red tide. “One of the only places here that you can have tropical weather in the winter,” said Peter Werkelin, a part-time resident. “Actually, when we see a lot of red tide,” said Ernie Razzano, with […]

An FGCU alumnus and his twin brother are working to ensure an important plant species in Florida and natural environments worldwide remains thriving. The idea was realized in Southwest Florida, and the brothers made it possible on the east coast of the state and overseas. Now, they hope to return to their roots and make […]

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) broke ground on the new home for The Water School Thursday morning. The 117,000-square-foot facility will be the largest academic building on campus. Half of the space will be research labs dedicated to the school’s vital work on water quality issues in Southwest Florida. “This building and The Water School will be a place where investments can be […]

Florida Gulf Coast University wants to understand better how blue-green algae and red tide impact your health. To do so, The Water School at the university will receive more than $200,000 from the Florida Dept. of Health to dive deeper into the issue. Harmful algal bloom research is getting a boost. In regards to The […]

What started off as a bleak day in Southwest Florida, ended with smiles lighting up a courtroom. “We have the honor and privilege of celebrating the adoption of eleven children in Collier County,” said CEO of the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida Nadereh Salim. As part of National Adoption Awareness Month, we got an inside […]

Teenagers are fighting for our water. High school students held up signs Thursday at a meeting about the quality of our waterways. The South Florida Water Management District meets every month to get ahead of another crisis like last year’s blue-green algae and red tide. We all know Florida is divided by bodies of water, […]