Naturally Florida

In today’s episode we’re talking about Florida’s state saltwater fish, the sailfish. We will discuss what a sailfish is not (ex. swordfish and marlin), what makes sailfish so interesting and unique, and of course, how we can help sailfish in Florida and beyond.

Learn More:

• Discover Fishes: Sailfish - https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/sailfish/
• Sailfish - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/billfish/sailfish/

• Infographic: All About Billfish - https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/superfish-infographic-all-about-billfish/1005/

How You Can Help:

• If you’re considering going fishing for sailfish and want a keepsake of your catch, consider a “Release Mount” instead of traditional taxidermy for a sailfish mount. You should also talk to your boat captain about their fishing practices and know that for your safety and the safety of the sailfish, a sailfish should never be lifted into the boat for a photo, as removing it from the water causes extreme stress and potential mortality.
• Consider purchasing a “Fish Florida” license plate featuring none other than the sailfish. These license plates support the Florida Foundation for Responsible Angling, Inc. Whose mission is to promote public awareness of and encourage the protection of marine fisheries and coastal habitats. (https://fishfloridatag.org/about/)
• There is very little known about juvenile billfish in their early stages of life. So, the Billfish Foundation has a project to track them. They are asking that you supply a photo of juveniles that you’ve caught, an approximate location (including latitude & longitude) and any other information that you might have (time of day, weather conditions, size & condition of fish etc.). Send the photo and info to [email protected] (https://billfish.org/featured/tbf-juvenile-billfish-project/)

Sources:

• Atlantic Sailfish - https://angari.org/angari-deep-dive-atlantic-sailfish/
• How sailfish use their bills to capture schooling prey - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4043100/
• NOAA Technical Report NMFS SSFR – 675 - https://books.google.com/books?id=Pg8mLAc80IwC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

In today’s episode we’re talking about Florida’s state saltwater mammal, the dolphin. We will discuss why it’s not technically correct to call them a porpoise, some fascinating behaviors they exhibit the exemplify their intelligence, some basic biology and more.

Learn More:

• Sarasota Dolphin Research Program - https://sarasotadolphin.org/
• Common Bottlenose Dolphin - https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/common-bottlenose-dolphin
• Dolphin- https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/aquatic/dolphin/

How You Can Help:

• Practice safe and ethical behaviors when interacting with dolphins: Swimming and feeding interactions increase risk of injury from boats, increases the incidents of entanglement in fishing gear, decreases dolphins’ willingness to forage for food and may cause habituated behaviors to be passed on to calves and other dolphins.
• Observe from a respectful distance: It's recommended to view from at least 50 yards away and limit your time spent observing to 30 minutes or less.
• Learn to love dolphins! There are many smartphone applications and websites where you can track dolphins and learn about them along the way.

Sources:

• Highlight: Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Inhabitance of the St. Johns River - https://sjrr.domains.unf.edu/highlights-2017/
• Cetaceans and Primates: Convergence in Intelligence and Self Awareness - https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=acwp_asie
• Sarasota Dolphin Research Program - https://sarasotadolphin.org/

In today’s episode we’re talking about Florida’s state freshwater fish, the Florida bass. We will discuss why it’s no longer called the largemouth bass, where they can be found, how they survive and support our freshwater ecosystems and more.  

Learn More: 

• Florida Bass/Largemouth Bass - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/freshwater/largemouth-bass/  

• State Freshwater Fish - https://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-freshwater-fish/  

• Florida Bass Research - https://myfwc.com/research/freshwater/sport-fishes/florida-bass/  

How You Can Help:  

• Encourage aquatic plant management in your community, if you have natural lakes. Diverse, abundant submerged aquatic plants help with water clarity. A goal of 50% submerged lake bottom coverage by native plant species is highly correlated with higher water clarity and less algae.  

• Get a fishing license or one of specialty license plates - https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/freshwater-fishing/  

• Learn about the Trophy Catch program - https://license.gooutdoorsflorida.com/Angler/Home  

Sources: 

• Phylogenomics and species delimitation of the economically important Black Basses (Micropterus) - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170712/  

• Aging: Biologists use otiliths to determine the age of fish - https://myfwc.com/research/freshwater/fisheries-resources/techniques/aging/  

• Trophic state indicators are a better predictor of Florida bass condition compared to temperature in Florida’s freshwater bodies - https://klwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/trophic-state-predicts-bass-condition-boucek-et-al-2017.pdf  

• The largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepe`de, 1802): impacts of a powerful freshwater fish predator outside of its native range - https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11160-019-09570-2.pdf  

In today’s episode we’re talking about the mysterious and massive horse conch, Florida’s state shell. We will discuss the meaning behind its common and scientific name, what it looks like, where it’s found, research on population numbers, some fascinating behaviors and benefits of this species, and of course, what each of us can do to help support our state shell, the horse conch. 

Learn More: 

• VIDEO: Giant Horse Conch & Burglar Hermit Crabs (Blue Planet, BBC Earth) - https://youtu.be/P_hBp1sEwfs?si=Du1L_g7JXjSoN7n7  

• Shell of the Week: The Horse Conch - https://shellmuseum.org/blog/shell-of-the-week-the-horse-conch/  

• Sea Wonder: Horse Conch - https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/sea-wonder-horse-conch/  

How You Can Help:  

• Support your local National Marine Sanctuary - https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/  

• Document sightings on iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org/  

• Visit and support the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, host of the largest horse conch in the world - https://shellmuseum.org/  

• Participate in beach cleanups and local restoration projects, and support organizations working to protect Florida's waterways.  

Sources: 

• Age and growth of one of the world’s largest carnivorous gastropods, the Florida Horse Conch, Triplofusus giganteus (Kiener, 1840), a target of unregulated, intense harvest - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0265095  

• Sea Wonder: Horse Conch - https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/sea-wonder-horse-conch/ 

• Mighty, the Horse Conch - https://shellmuseum.org/blog/mighty-the-horse-conch/  

In today’s episode we’re talking about Florida’s state butterfly, the zebra longwing: what it looks like, where it’s found, its life cycle, some fun and unique behaviors, and of course, what each of us can do to help support the zebra longwing butterfly. 

Learn More: 

• Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charithonia) - https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/zebra_longwing.shtml  

• Zebra Longwing - https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/object/zebra-longwing/  

• Zebra longwing -  https://www.flawildflowers.org/know-your-native-pollinators-zebra-longwing/  

How You Can Help:  

• Plant host and nectar/pollen plants (Ex. passionflower vine for eggs/larvae and firebush, tropical sage, Spanish needle and more for the adults) - https://www.flawildflowers.org/know-your-native-pollinators-zebra-longwing/  

• Consider creating a butterfly watering station - https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/gardening-with-wildlife/providing-water-to-wildlife/  

• Consider purchasing a “State Wildflower” tag (license plate) and support valuable research, the planting and protection of hundred of acres of wildflower pollinator pathways and school wildflower gardens, and overall increased environmental awareness - https://www.flawildflowers.org/wildflower-tag/    

Sources: 

• Patterns of pollen collection and flower visitation by Heliconius butterflies in southeastern Mexico - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-tropical-ecology/article/abs/patterns-of-pollen-collection-and-flower-visitation-by-heliconius-butterflies-in-southeastern-mexico/3E9698939DC97C3051261F38DBC078D8  

• Dynamics of a subtropical population of the zebra longwing butterfly heliconius charithonia (nymphalidae) -  https://bioone.org/journals/florida-entomologist/volume-88/issue-2/0015-4040_2005_088_0169_DOASPO_2.0.CO_2/DYNAMICS-OF-A-SUBTROPICAL-POPULATION-OF-THE-ZEBRA-LONGWING-BUTTERFLY/10.1653/0015-4040(2005)088%5b0169:DOASPO%5d2.0.CO;2.full  

• State Butterfly: Zebra Longwing - https://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-butterfly/  

Florida is known for having alligators, a fact that brings fear to many visitors and residents. But, alligators are an important species in many of our ecosystems. While we continue to develop the State, our chances of encountering an alligator increase, but there are many ways we can learn to coexist with them.

Celebrate Earth Month with us as we revisit a favorite topic from season 1 with a freshly re-edited Alligator episode.

Learn more:

• Living with Alligators: a Florida Reality: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/uw230
• Watch an 8ft+ alligator climb a 6ft fence: https://youtu.be/z7DMjQJD7vM (ABC Channel 6, WATE)
• Information on alligator hunting in Florida (FWC) - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/harvest/hunt-guide/

How You Can Help:

• Never feed an alligator - If you suspect anyone of feeding alligators, intentionally or not, please consider reporting it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). You will not get anyone in trouble! The 1st offense is a warning and education visit. Call the wildlife alert hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922). Cell phone users in Florida can dial *FWC or #FWC, depending on the service provider.

Sources for this Episode:

• Ober, et al., Managing Conflicts with Wildlife: Living with Alligators. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw393
• Swiman, et al., Living with Alligators: A Florida Reality. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw230
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/snap/
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Alligator Management Program. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!

If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations

In today’s episode we’re talking about Florida’s state animal, The Florida panther: where it lives, how it lives, the conservation wins that brought it back from the brink, and what each of us can do to help panthers and people coexist in a rapidly growing state 

Learn More: 

• Florida Panther Program - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/  

• Wildlife Watch: Learn to protect the Florida panther during critical breeding season with Ask IFAS’ bilingual guide -  https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2026/02/12/wildlife-watch-learn-to-protect-the-florida-panther-during-critical-breeding-season-with-ask-ifas-bilingual-guide/  

• The Florida Panther: A Passageway to Success - https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-04/florida-panther  

• Panther Pulse - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/pulse/  

How You Can Help:  

• Slow down in posted panther zones, especially at dawn/dusk/night 

• Report injured/dead panthers to 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922)

• Report sighting of Florida panther - https://app.myfwc.com/hsc/panthersightings/  

• Support land conservation  programs and efforts - call your elected officials!

• Consider a “Protect the Panther” tag and support local conservation partners -https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/plate/  

Sources: 

• The Florida Panther: Past, Present, and Future https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW402  

• Wildlife of Florida Factsheet: Florida Panther https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW467  

• Florida Panther Program - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/  

Today, we’re discussing Florida’s state bird, the Northern Mockingbird: how it earned that title, how to recognize it, who it’s often confused with, and the meaning behind some of their behaviors.

Learn More:

• Northern Mockingbird - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/overview
• Northern Mockingbird - https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-mockingbird
• State Bird: Mockingbird - https://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-bird/

How You Can Help:

• Plant native shrubs and fruiting plants to support natural diets of the Northern Mockbird, and nesting habitat too!
• Remember – Aggressive behavior usually means there’s a nest nearby!
• Support your favorite bird species by promoting the habitat and land/water management practices that support their existence

Sources:

• Urban mockingbirds quickly learn to identify individual humans - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2690012/
• Cornell Lab: All About Birds – Northern Mockingbird - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/overview
• Breitwisch, R., Diaz, M., Natasha Gottlieb, Lee, R., & Zaias, J. (1986). Defense of Fall Territories by Mated and Unmated Northern Mockingbirds in Southern Florida. Journal of Field Ornithology, 57(1), 16–21. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4513085

Today, we’re diving into what makes the sabal palmetto special—from its biology and wildlife value to its cultural history—and how Floridians can help protect and support this iconic native plant. 

Learn More:

• What is a tree? https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/trees-cities-towns/tree-selection/what-is-a-tree
• Sabal palmetto: Sabal or Cabbage Palm https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST575
• Sorting out the Florida Sabal Palms https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR357

How You Can Help:

• If you’re adding palms to your landscaping, consider adding a native cabbage palm instead of a nonnative palm.
• Protect what’s growing – Remember, sabal palm trunks do not self-heal like “normal” trees would – take care to avoid damaging them! Defend them against weedwhackers and other trauma.
• Practice responsible pruning - Don’t remove green fronds unnecessarily; fronds provide food and energy for the palm. Unless the frond is dry and brown,the tree still needs it. If you MUST prune, prune responsibly – only fronds that hang down and have already started to die off. (Learn more)
• Support conservation, Observe, andAppreciate our State Tree - Take a moment to notice sabal palms in your community—and thebirds and wildlife they support.

Sources:

• Cabbage palm – Sabal palmetto ⁠ https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/tree-tour/cabbage-palm/
• Sabal Palm ⁠ https://www.nps.gov/places/000/sabal-palm.htm
• Sabal palmetto: Investigating the ecological importanceof Florida’s state tree ⁠https://www.proquest.com/openview/22f53c0e4a34046d4bb033c747102003/1?cbl=18750&pq-origsite=gscholar
• https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST575
• https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR357

In this episode, we explain how hurricanes impact ecosystems and the wildlife that live there. We’ll discuss behaviors of wildlife before, during and after a storm, how these events impact wildlife, and what to keep in mind when it comes to encountering wildlife after a storm.  

Learn More:

• Wildlife and Storms: Hurricanes and Wildlife - https://myfwc.com/news/wildlife-and-storms/

• Are Fish Impacted by Hurricanes? https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/are-fish-impacted-hurricanes

• Hurricane Impacts on Florida’s Agriculture and Natural Resources - https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/105526

How You Can Help:

• Give wildlife space to recover after storms — avoid unnecessary “rescues.”

• Report fish kills by calling the Fish Kill Hotline: 800-636-0511 or  report a fish kill online. 

• Support dune restoration, wetland cleanup events, and native plantings.

• Report injured wildlife to licensed rehabbers or FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline. FWC’ s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC

Sources:

• The Impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Ecosystems of South Florida - https://www.jstor.org/stable/2386357

• The effects of hurricanes on birds, with special reference to Caribbean islands - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bird-conservation-international/article/effects-of-hurricanes-on-birds-with-special-reference-to-caribbean-islands/BB2E910A038B98090BB331310C163DC7

• Short-Term Demographic Responses of a Coastal Waterbird Community After Two Major Hurricanes - https://bioone.org/journals/waterbirds/volume-36/issue-1/063.036.0113/Short-Term-Demographic-Responses-of-a-Coastal-Waterbird-Community-After/10.1675/063.036.0113.short

• Geographical variation in hurricane impacts among sea turtle populations - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jbi.12197