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Biologists say marine debris likely led to whale’s stranding off the Florida Keys. A necropsy performed on May 11th showed the 47 ft male sperm whale had a mass of intertwined line, net pieces, and plastic bag type material in its stomach. This debris likely did not allow the whale to eat properly, leading to its emaciated condition and stranding. Further diagnostic analyses on tissues collected during the necropsy will be used to rule out all other health related issues and confirm the cause of stranding and death. The debris material collected from the whale’s stomach will also be analyzed to determine its type and origin. If you see an injured or stranded marine mammal, don't push them back into the water. Almost all animals strand because they are ill or injured, please call for trained responders to intervene: FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-3922 or Southeast Region Stranding Network 877-WHALE HELP (1-877-942-5343).
Over 3,000 Hatchery-Raised Shoal Bass Released into Chipola River
3,300 hatchery-raised shoal bass were recently released into the Chipola River. After Hurricane Michael depleted more than 90% of the shoal bass population, our freshwater fisheries team have been working to conserve this species. Shoal bass are one in four of Florida’s native black bass species and a Florida Species of Greatest Conservation Need. This is the first time genetically pure shoal bass have been successfully raised in an FWC fish hatchery and the release of these fingerlings will enhance the wild population and help maintain the genetic purity and long-term conservation of this unique Florida black bass.
Biologists Need Your Weasel Sightings
Did you know that Florida has weasels? Florida is home to long-tailed weasels, who are rare and secretive, making them difficult to study. Pre-2000 we had nearly 200 records of weasels in Florida. Since then, we only have 7 confirmed records of weasels. Because of this, biologists know little about their abundance and distribution in the state and need your help! You can share Florida weasel sightings on FWC’s web-based reporting system. Those lucky enough to get photos of the elusive critters can upload them to their report! Check our ID guide so you can be sure you're looking at a weasel.
St. Joseph Bay Sea Urchin Roundup Postponed to June 18th
The St. Joseph Bay Sea Urchin Roundup originally scheduled for May 21st was postponed due to bad weather, with the new date set for June 18th. An overabundance of sea urchins (Lytechinus spp.) in St. Joseph Bay is destroying turtle grass beds by overgrazing. FWC and U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 (Southeast Region) are asking citizens to join sea urchin roundups, to help remove sea urchins from active grazing fronts to jump start the natural recovery of seagrass. The animals will be released in deeper areas of the bay at a distance from grazed areas. Staff from both agencies will be monitoring the abundance of sea urchins quarterly, assessing seagrass abundance by in-water and mapping surveys, and measuring water quality monthly. Sign-in will be held at the Frank Pate City Boat Ramp, and volunteers are required to bring their own boat and snorkeling gear. Urchin collecting gear will be distributed at the sign-in booth.
First Year Progress from the South Atlantic Red Snapper Research Program
The South Atlantic Red Snapper Research Program is a multi-year, collaborative effort that includes researchers from academic institutions and resource management agencies throughout the southeastern U.S. As part of this work, FWC has been collecting fin clips and otoliths from Red Snapper caught by recreational, for-hire and commercial fishers along the Atlantic coast of Florida. These samples are contributing to the close-kin mark-recapture (CKMR) portion of the study. CKMR uses genetic markers to identify closely related individuals (i.e., kin), which is a useful measure for quantifying the total number of red snapper in the Atlantic population. In 2021, FWC researchers sampled close to 2,000 fish during the federal season for recreational and commercial harvest, and more than 1,000 fish caught and released out of season by anglers fishing on charter boats and headboats. Thank you to the all of the anglers and captains for allowing FWC biologists to sample their fish at the dock, and for-hire vessels that allow FWC fishery observers to ride along on charter and headboat trips, you are important partners in this cooperative research! Visit our website for updates and how you can help this year.
New on MyFWC.com/Research
We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website:
HAB Publications
Register to Become a Scallop-Sitter
Annual Rescue Summaries, Manatees
2022 Manatee Mortalities
Avian Influenza
Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Meeting Information
Harmful Algal Bloom Grant Program
Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information
Red Tide Current Status
Amphibian and Reptile Publications
Nonnative Species Publications
Status and Trends Report
Internship Opportunities
Red Snapper Research on the Atlantic Coast
2022 Scallop Rodeo
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