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FWC is currently investigating the deaths of lesser scaups (medium-sized diving duck), black vultures and other avian species in Brevard, Volusia and Palm Beach counties, believed to be caused by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) “Bird Flu”. There is a low risk of HPAI transmission to humans and, to date, there have been no known human infections in North America. The H5 2.3.4.4 strain has been documented in the US since 2021 and was detected in Florida in January 2022 from a hunter-harvested blue-winged teal. To prevent the spread of HPAI, the public should avoid handling sick or dead wildlife, prohibit the contact of domestic birds with wild birds, and report wild bird mortalities so die-offs can be investigated. Please be advised that because HPAI is very contagious and not treatable in wild birds, some wildlife rehabbers may not be accepting these animals at this time. Read more about HPAI on our website.
East Coast Manatee Mortality Event Update
Last week, a large-scale rescue operation was organized by our marine mammal response team in Port St. John with the goal of rescuing numerous distressed manatees reported and monitored earlier in the week in and around the Cape Canaveral Energy Center site. Many of the reported cases were thin listing adult manatees, which included several that were excessively buoyant. Weather conditions and other factors made these rescues difficult, but the team was able to capture four manatees. Many thanks to our staff and partners for making this rescue effort successful, including FWC biologists and Law Enforcement officers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), SeaWorld, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, Brevard Zoo, Volusia County, and Jacksonville Zoo. Watch a video of the rescue activities, along with additional information, on our website.
Sponge Restoration in Florida Bay
A new FWRI publication looks at efforts to restore the hard-bottom sponge communities of Florida Bay, a once-diverse subtropical lagoon severely degraded by cyanobacteria blooms, along with the scientific and practical lessons learned from those efforts. Because initial restoration effort results were promising, the FWC will soon convene a panel of researchers, natural resource managers and non-governmental organizations to develop a strategy to scale up restoration work to re-establish the sponge communities over large areas of degraded hard-bottom to “jump start” the ecological recovery of Florida Bay. FWC relies on peer-reviewed science for its management; click here to access this full publication.
FWRI Celebrates Women in Science
February 11th was International Women in Science Day! Worldwide, 33% of scientific researchers are women. At the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute we are setting the pace: 45% of our research staff are women! With degrees ranging from Animal Behavior to Zoology, FWRI recognizes its women in science- get inspired, find out more about our women researchers on our Flickr page.
New on MyFWC.com/Research
We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website:
2022 Manatee Mortalities
Manatee Mortality Event on the East Coast: 2020-2022
Annual Rescue Summaries, Manatees
Oyster Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program (OIMMP)
Internship Opportunities
Avian Influenza
New Publications
Freshwater Fisheries Research
Florida's United Reef Map
Red Tide Current Status
Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information Sources
Terrestrial Habitat Research
Stone Crab Catch Data
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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