Habitat

Three species of sea turtle are known to inhabit the waters of Southwest Florida. Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and green (Chelonia midas) turtles are both listed federally as endangered species, and the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) is listed as a threatened species. Full story »

While incidents of mold may be on the rise on Marco Island since Tropical Storm Fay, mosquito counters say Marco, Isles Capri and Goodland may have actually received some relief from the needle-nosed, winged pests. Islanders are likely to notice an increase in mosquitoes where standing water remains after the rains brought on by Fay, however overall mosquito counts in the Marco Island area are down. Full story »

Beach monitors in Southwest Florida will be keeping one eye on the sky and another on the coasts Tuesday. In anticipation of a wallop from Fay, either as a tropical storm or a hurricane, crews took pictures of Collier County beaches Monday to be able to measure erosion damage after the storm passes, coastal zone management director Gary McAlpin said.
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Discovering the American alligator in Florida can be a daring feat. But it depends on where one looks for “el lagarto,” translated from Spanish origins, meaning the lizard. Given the State of Florida is home to the largest population of alligators in the United States, alligator gawking is simple for visitors. These cold-blooded reptiles can be spotted basking in the Florida sun, or ambling across local golf courses toward its lakes. Full story »

An inspector with the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation found no evidence of mold or condensation in three rooms at the Marriott Marco Beach Resort following a complaint received last week from a hotel guest. Full story »

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve is working to fulfill a mangrove restoration project at the corner of Collier Boulevard (SR 951) and Capri Boulevard, between Naples and Marco Island. Full story »

The snake hunter shakes his head as he crouches over a sandy trail that pushes through Collier-Seminole State Park. Hoping to spy subtle signs of his slithering prey, Paul Andreadis instead finds only pebble-sized pockmarks left by raindrops overnight and maybe tracks left by a deer, probably that morning. “No, nothing here,” said Andreadis, a snake researcher visiting Collier-Seminole last week from Denison University, located near Columbus, Ohio. Full story »

They look like ramshackle utility meters, a series of metal contraptions tied to wooden posts. Beneath them are 16 sections of iron pipe buried in the corrosive soil of Plantation Island. The sight is unusual for Plantation Island, less than a square mile of land east of Everglades City and surrounded by Everglades National Park. Mobile homes cover most of Plantation Island’s acreage, but this is unabashedly a research project. Full story »

No one has questioned the urgency of Hideaway Beach’s need for protection from natural beach erosion. The question seems to be: who should pay for it? The answer depends on who you ask. There are about 620 households in the Hideaway Beach development. Many believe that the beach adjacent to their homes should be renourished using a combination of the taxes the Hideaway District levies on their homeowners as well as money generated for tourism by Collier County’s tax on hotels and short-term rentals. Full story »

Water. You can’t live without it, but what you pay for it in Collier County differs greatly, depending on where you live. At $45 a month for a 5,000 gallon residential water and sewer usage, Naples city residents pay the least for water and sewer, while residents in Golden Gate city pay nearly $100 for the same amount. Full story »

There are currently nine green lodging hotels in Collier County with eight more in the application process, just weeks away from certification. Of the counties in the South Florida district, Collier still trails behind Monroe County, which currently has 17 certified hotels in the Florida Keys. Full story »

In the first major biological research project of its kind on Marco Island, gopher tortoises are getting more than just a once-over from a team of researchers. Full story »

Friends of Tigertail Beach members and volunteers spent Saturday morning performing the quarterly clean-up along the beach. Full story »

Florida has one of the most active artificial reef programs in the Gulf and the Atlantic states. In addition to increasing habitat, artificial reefs improve fishing and diving opportunities, provide socio-economic benefits to local communities, minimize user conflicts and facilitate reef research. Full story »

A manatee bobbing in the waters near Marco Island is poked and prodded by the noses of several larger manatees, an apparent attempt to bring their ailing relative up for air. That’s the report received by Mitts Maravic of the Fish and Wildlife Commission over the Fourth of July weekend. A Marco Island man reported that a dying or dead manatee was located off Isles of Capri near channel marker 16. Full story »