Bloom, there it goes!

10/16/23 • 24 min

1 Listener

THANK YOU to all of our loyal listeners! Has this podcast made a difference in your life?

The survey is now closed, but we look forward to hearing from you again next fall! If you have comments or topics for next season, submit them at ⁠www.naturallyfloridapodcast.com⁠

If you live in Florida, chances are you have heard or read about “harmful algal blooms" commonly referred to as HABs. We have received many requests for an episode on this topic, so...here it is! What are algae? What is a HAB? Are all algae bad? Learn this and more in today’s episode.

Learn More:

Protecting Florida Together - https://protectingfloridatogether.gov/
Marine HABs - https://myfwc.com/redtide/
Freshwater HABs - https://floridadep.gov/AlgalBloom
U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms - https://hab.whoi.edu/

How You Can Help:

Limit your contribution to excess nutrients by fertilizing only when necessary, ensuring you blow grass clippings back on the landscape (not down a storm drain...that’s illegal), plant native plants to help with nutrient uptake, and check that your down spout is directed into your landscape and not down your driveway.
Report an algal bloom in a freshwater system - www.reportalgalbloom.com
Report fish kills at the Fish Kill Hotline 1-800-636-0511
Avoid contact with water that has algae blooms

Sources for this Episode:

Historical Occurrence of HABs - https://hab.whoi.edu/about/historical-occurrence-of-habs/
An Introduction to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Florida - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOi156_jl9c
Harmful Algal Blooms - https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/harmful_algal_blooms

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

THANK YOU to all of our loyal listeners! Has this podcast made a difference in your life?

The survey is now closed, but we look forward to hearing from you again next fall! If you have comments or topics for next season, submit them at ⁠www.naturallyfloridapodcast.com⁠

Learn More:

Protecting Florida Together - https://protectingfloridatogether.gov/
Marine HABs - https://myfwc.com/redtide/
Freshwater HABs - https://floridadep.gov/AlgalBloom
U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms - https://hab.whoi.edu/

How You Can Help:

Limit your contribution to excess nutrients by fertilizing only when necessary, ensuring you blow grass clippings back on the landscape (not down a storm drain...that’s illegal), plant native plants to help with nutrient uptake, and check that your down spout is directed into your landscape and not down your driveway.
Report an algal bloom in a freshwater system - www.reportalgalbloom.com
Report fish kills at the Fish Kill Hotline 1-800-636-0511
Avoid contact with water that has algae blooms

Sources for this Episode:

Historical Occurrence of HABs - https://hab.whoi.edu/about/historical-occurrence-of-habs/
An Introduction to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Florida - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOi156_jl9c
Harmful Algal Blooms - https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/harmful_algal_blooms

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!

Previous Episode

PodBLAST - The Impact of Fireworks

THANK YOU to all of our loyal listeners! Has this podcast made a difference in your life?

The survey is now closed, but we look forward to hearing from you again next fall! If you have comments or topics for next season, submit them at www.naturallyfloridapodcast.com

Although fireworks are a staple for celebrations around the world, the explosives almost always contain pollutants like heavy metals, perchlorates, and aerosols, which harm air and water quality. The noise and flashes can startle many organisms, sometimes leading to nesting birds scattering, leaving their young vulnerable to predators. The good news is, there are many alternatives to traditional fireworks shows— making the switch would help protect Florida wildlife and ecosystems. Learn More:

Not just a flash in the pan: short and long term impacts of fireworks on the environment – https://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/Fulltext/PC22040
Keeping wildlife safe on Independence Day –https://www.fws.gov/story/keeping-wildlife-safe-independence-day
Birds flee en mass from New Year's Eve fireworks –https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/22/6/1173/218852#79500851

How You Can Help:

Search for a "Drone Light Show" or "Laser Light Show" near you to watch instead of doing your own fireworks at home. Or, watch a local city or town's fireworks show.
Celebrate a firework-less Fourth of July with drones, bubble guns, or confetti cannons - https://www.popsci.com/environment/fireworks-alternatives/
Consider purchasing quiet fireworks - https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/science/july-4-fireworks-quiet.html

Sources for this Episode:

Not just a flash in the pan: short and long term impacts of fireworks on the environment – ⁠https://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/Fulltext/PC22040 ⁠
The impact of fireworks on airborne particles - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231007009685
Environmental impacts of perchlorate with special reference to fireworks - a review - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-014-3921-4

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

Next Episode

Florida Black Bears

Florida black bears have been in the news, frequently, this year! On today's episode, we chat about the Florida black bear's diet, behavior, and biology, and provide some tips for co-existing with our resident bears.

Learn More:

Living with the Florida black bear - https://www.myfwc.com/bear⁠
Where are the large bear populations? - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/bear-management-units/

How You Can Help:

Limit attractants in your yard and protect bears from accessing your garbage cans. Be bear aware: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/living/
Report a sick, injured, orphaned, or dead bear: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/nuisance-contact/
If you live in areas with a lot of bear activity, learn how to "Scare That Bear!" here: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/living/scare/

Sources for this Episode:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: https://www.myfwc.com/bear⁠⁠
Bears and Apiaries (UF/IFAS): https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1318
Living with Black Bears: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/2017/04/24/florida-black-bears/

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