#wetlands

Posts

• Brown Pelicans at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge

  Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) photographed at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge illustrate the deep ecological interdependence between coastal birds, mangrove ecosystems, and estuarine productivity. Once ...

• Gearing Up for Shark Week 2026: Sharks, Science, and the Stories

  Every summer, millions of people around the world prepare for one of television’s most recognizable events: Shark Week. For more than three decades, the annual programming block has captivated audiences with breaching gr...

• How Sharks Detect Electricity

  Sharks have ruled the oceans for more than 400 million years. Long before dinosaurs walked the Earth, sharks were already evolving into highly efficient predators capable of surviving dramatic planetary changes, mass ext...

• The American Robin: The Familiar Bird That Still Holds Surprises

  The morning I used the Merlin Bird ID app to listen more closely to the hidden life in my Florida backyard, one of the first birds it identified was the American Robin.

• The Belted Kingfisher: The Bird That Breaks the Surface

  Some birds move quietly.

• The Black-bellied Whistling Duck: The Duck With a Different Sound

  Some birds are easy to recognize by sound.

• The Boat-Tailed Grackle: Florida’s Loud Coastal Survivor

  As the cardinal’s clear whistle faded into the background that morning, another sound quickly took its place.

• The Carolina Chickadee: The Familiar Call

  Some birds feel distant.

• The Common Ground Dove: The Bird You Almost Miss

  Some birds announce themselves.

• The Downy Woodpecker: The Sound That Comes From the Tree

  Some birds are easy to find.

• The Eastern Bluebird: The Color That Changes the Day

  Some birds are hard to find.

• The Eastern Phoebe: The Bird That Never Stops Watching

  Some birds move constantly.

• The Female Cardinal: The Bird You Didn’t Notice

  Some birds are impossible to miss.

• The Fish Crow: The Overlooked Voice Along Florida’s Waterways

  After the distant, sharp whistle of the Greater Yellowlegs faded into the background, another sound emerged—closer this time, but somehow harder to place.

• The Gray Catbird: The Bird That Sounds Like Something Else

  Some birds are easy to understand.

• The Great Crested Flycatcher: The Voice in the Trees

  Some birds are easy to find.

• The Great Egret: The Stillness That Moves

  Some birds are defined by sound.

• The House Finch: The Bird That Brings Color to the Ordinary

  Some birds stand out immediately.

• The Killdeer: The Bird That Pretends to Be Injured

  Some birds hide when you get too close.

• The Most Misunderstood Sharks in the Ocean

  For decades, sharks have carried one of the worst reputations in the animal kingdom. Movies, sensational headlines, and dramatic television specials have often portrayed them as ruthless killing machines lurking beneath ...

• The Mourning Dove: The Sound That Slows Everything Down

  Not every bird announces itself.

• The Northern Cardinal: The Bright Red Visitor

  Not long after the mockingbird’s ever-changing song faded into the background that morning, another sound rose clearly above the rest.

• The Northern Flicker: The Woodpecker That Walks the Ground

  Some birds stay in the trees.

• The Northern Mockingbird: Florida’s Master of Imitation

  Not long after the American robin’s steady song drifted through the trees that morning, another sound took over the air.

• The Purple Martin: The Bird That Returns From the Sky

  Some birds are found in the trees.

• The Sandhill Crane: The Bird That Feels Ancient

  Some birds blend into the background.

• The Tufted Titmouse: The Bird That Watches You Back

  Some birds pass through your yard.

• The White-eyed Vireo: The Voice You Can’t Find

  Some birds reveal themselves the moment they call.

• Two Silent Hunters Above the Wetlands

  Figure 1. A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) and a great egret (Ardea alba) roost together above a wetland. Shared roosting sites like this often indicate productive habitats capable of supporting multiple keystone pr...

• When the Red Berries Take Root

  The Waterline Chronicles — Entry 02

• When the Reed Stands Alone

  The Waterline Chronicles — Entry 03

• Why Hammerhead Sharks Evolved Their Strange Heads

  Few animals in the ocean are as instantly recognizable as the hammerhead shark. With eyes spread wide across a flattened, hammer-shaped head and a silhouette unlike any other predator in the sea, hammerheads almost look ...

• Why Herons and Egrets Nest Together in Coastal Ecosystems

  Along coastlines and estuaries, spring transforms quiet trees into crowded neighborhoods. Branches fill with long legs, sharp bills, and restless movement. White feathers flash beside gray and blue ones. Calls echo acros...