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FWRI's annual open house, MarineQuest, returns Thursday, October 14th in a digital format! Join us for an all-day live stream during which we'll broadcast science videos covering many diverse areas of research within Florida, such as sandhill crane banding, searching for skunks and weasels with Cowboy, the scat-sniffing dog, how our fisheries monitoring teams keep track of populations throughout Tampa Bay and other Florida estuaries, and more. We will also be joined throughout the day by several of our research groups as they take us through the process of aging fish, rescuing manatees, and processing water samples for red tide - and will be available to answer your questions during a live Q&A. And new this year: "Science Snippets," where we join FWRI scientists as they turn the camera on themselves to share research insights and interesting science facts. Check out our website at MyFWC.com/MarineQuest for more information and to watch content from last year's MarineQuest. We hope you'll join us.
Unusual Timber Rattlesnake Sighting in Polk County
Last month, a timber rattlesnake was observed in Tenoroc Public Use Area in northern Polk County. After posting a photo on Facebook, it turns out someone else photographed the same snake, which has a distinctive banding pattern, two days earlier and two-thirds of a mile away in Tenoroc. The southern extent of this species’ range is thought to be southern Alachua or possibly northern Marion County. These observations are 101 miles south of the nearest record in Alachua County and are separated by many miles of unsuitable scrub habitat in Ocala National Forest. FWC biologists are interested in any sightings of timber rattlesnakes outside of their range. Read more on our Facebook page.
Manatee Internship Opportunities
Manatee internships are currently available in several locations around Florida, at Port Charlotte and Tequesta, with internships beginning in January at St. Petersburg and Melbourne Beach! Interns work closely with FWC biologists to assist with manatee rescues, handling during transport to critical care facilities, helping with releases after rehabilitation, in addition to carcass salvage and participation in other field research projects. For a list of available internships and how to apply, visit our website.
Spiny Lobster Study Useful for Commercial Fishery
The FWRI lobster team placed cameras inside traps to better understand the behavior and dynamics of spiny lobster interactions inside these traps. Ultimately, the video analysis will provide information useful for management of the trap fishery. During this study, cameras caught several species known to interact with traps and the lobsters inside. Triggerfish are familiar lobster predators and stone crabs are known to compete with lobsters for shelter. Double-crested cormorants often poke their head into traps to catch small baitfish and nurse sharks will eat lobsters, although this one didn’t seem too interested in the lobsters. In all cases, note the highly vigilant response by the spiny lobsters, who use their spiny antennae and group defense to avoid the attacks. Watch the video through our social media.
New on MyFWC.com/Research
We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website:
2021 Manatee Mortalities
Red Tide Manatee Mortalities
Annual Rescue Summaries, Manatee
Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Meeting Information
Harmful Algal Bloom Grant Program
Resource Guide for Public Health Response to Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida
Turtle Research
Diamondback Terrapins
Barbour's Map Turtle Status Assessment
Amphibian and Reptile Publications
Genetic Assessment of Striped Newt Populations
Survival of Repatriated Striped Newts in Apalachicola National Forest
Florida Keys Reptiles
Lizard Research
Internship Opportunities
New Publications
Our Mission
Through effective research and technical knowledge, we provide
timely information and guidance to protect, conserve, and manage
Florida's fish and wildlife resources.
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