Fishing line and tackle that isn’t correctly disposed can have major consequences for wildlife. It can entangle and trap wildlife, causing injury or death. The most popular fishing line material is monofilament. It takes over 600 years for fishing line to break down. The Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP) is a statewide project working to reduce the environmental damage…
Did you know that six miles out from the Florida Keys is the only living coral barrier reef in North America? This reef is in trouble. The barrier reef that runs along the Florida Keys is experiencing coral bleaching. Coral bleaching happens when coral gets stressed by changes like changes in water temperature (both warm water temperatures and cold water…
Wait, sunscreen isn’t safe for the ocean? In the process of protecting our skin we can damage coral reefs. Fast Facts: Chemicals in most sunscreens are toxic to coral. 25% of the sunscreen we put on is washed off 20 minutes after we go in the water. Many sunscreens that say “reef safe” might not be because sunscreen is unregulated.…
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful stripes and fan-like fins of the lionfish. These fish have venomous spines. The venomous sting is extremely painful and can last for days. Lionfish do not belong in our waters here in the Florida Keys. They are invasive and are eating their way through our fish populations. A study found that “lionfish can kill…
