Public health advisories are being issued in response to dust hazard the size of US heading toward Florida

Saharan Dust – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Daineko Natalia This week, Florida is expected to be slammed by a huge dust plume the size of the United States that is traveling across the Atlantic Ocean. Strong winds swept small sand and mineral particles from the surface of the Sahara Desert, creating the dust cloud.

Huge clouds of Saharan dust will move toward Florida and the Gulf

Saharan Dust Sunrise over Atlantic Ocean – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Rolando Otero Massive clouds of dust from Africa’s Sahara Desert are transported westward by wind during the Saharan dust season in the Atlantic, occasionally all the way to the United States. Now, where is the dust? A second swath of lighter dust was

The Florida State Park Preservation Act was enacted

Florida State Park Preservation Act – Pictured: Woman kayaking – Photo Credit: Joanne Date/Shutterstock The bill signed into law by Florida State Parks is anticipated to prevent commercial development on public lands. The State Park Preservation Act, HB 209, was approved by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday. In addition to requiring public hearings for

Popular Florida springs are closed due to large alligator following kayakers, according to the Forest Service

Alligator Florida Everglades — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Thierry Eidenweil The U.S. Forest Service said that officials had temporarily closed one of Central Florida’s most popular springs to paddlers due to a huge alligator that is acting aggressively. About 300 miles north of Miami, in the Ocala National Forest, the Juniper Springs watercourse is affected by

Florida sets 2025 Python Challenge dates—and it could help save the Everglades

2025 Python Challenge – Burmese Pythons — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Heiko Kiera As part of a larger conservation initiative to save the Everglades from invasive Burmese pythons, Florida wildlife officials have announced the dates for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

The Florida Everglades’ mercury levels are increased by sulfur runoff

Aerial View of Florida Everglades at Sunset Hour – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by ocudrone According to recent study from the University of California, Davis, sulfur used on sugarcane crops in South Florida is seeping into wetlands of Everglades National Park, where it sets off a chemical process that turns mercury into dangerous methylmercury, which

Researchers pinpoint the “tipping point” that led to hazardous Florida seaweed clumps

Seaweed pollution along Miami Beach, Florida — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Sergii Figurnyi According to Florida scientists, they have discovered a “tipping point” in the Atlantic Ocean’s meteorological conditions that led to massive clumps of toxic seaweed flooding Caribbean beaches in recent summers. A surplus of nutrients in the water, such as nitrogen and phosphorus from

Roads leading into and out of the Florida Keys are closed due to brush fire and smoke

Seven Mile Bridge – Florida Keys — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Mia2you A brush fire forced authorities to temporarily close U.S. 1 on Wednesday, causing hours of traffic jams for anyone attempting to enter or exit the Florida Keys. According to Monroe County spokeswoman Kristen Livengood, Card Sound Road, the only other route that connects the

Alligators in the Florida Sewer System Are “Abundant”: “Like Something Out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”

Alligators Florida Everglades — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Thierry Eidenweil Alligators have been living in Florida’s wastewater pipes. According to a University of Florida research, there were 35 distinct animal species in the stormwater sewer systems beneath Gainesville, including armadillos, frogs, raccoons, and yes, alligators. According to the study, as urbanization and development increase, “human-modified environments”

Because of the harmful red tide algae off the coast of Florida, DeSantis is encouraged to declare an emergency

Red Tide — Courtesy: Shutterstock — smcfeeters A growing “red tide” algae bloom off the southwest coast of Florida is threatening well-known tourist beaches and is being blamed for the deaths of fish and dolphins, prompting environmentalists to urge Governor Ron DeSantis to declare an emergency. The outbreak, which scientists say started in the Gulf