Dream of Long Distance Passenger Rail Service in Florida May Soon Become Reality

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All Aboard Florida!

While not directly related, recent news of a planned passenger rail service linking Miami and Orlando certainly drew our interest. As the most populated and traveled parts of our state, we know all too well the impacts traveling have on the land and wildlife of central and south Florida.

Each year, highly endangered Florida panthers suffered numerous fatalities due to collisions with automobiles.

Recent proposals by Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) though may help alleviate this road congestion that causes so many deadly encounters between man and wildlife.

Approximately 50 million people per year travel between Orlando and Miami according to the company, which has a long history dating back to Henry Flagler and the construction of the first land route to Miami. In response to the demand for travel between Orlando and Miami, the costs to travel by car and other factors, FECI is launching an ambitious effort to offer passenger rail service between the two metropolises by 2014.

Much of the feasibility for the rail service lies in the fact that FECI owns the track and right of way along the coast. The company is building the line’s final link between Cocoa and Orlando to complete the route. Future plans call for service to Jacksonville and Tampa, linking a huge bulk of Florida’s population to passenger rail.

Besides providing a comfortable and cost-effective travel option (…approximately 3 hours total), the All Aboard Florida line will include stops and access to airports, seaports and commuter rail systems in Orlando, West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.

Trains will cruise at around 80 mph and integrate well with FECI’s existing freight lines. Cabins will include coach and first-class options as well as WI-FI.

Anyone on the go can certainly appreciate that!

(See an infographic from All Aboard Florida below)

Economically, the new line is expected to create thousands of quality jobs, something our state has certainly suffered from a lack of in recent years. According to FECI, over 6,000 construction jobs will be required along with over 1,000 permanent personnel for operations.

Taxpayers and citizens of Florida will also realize benefits in terms of reduced road maintenance and construction costs and will not bear any financial risk.

In terms of Florida’s environment though, we consider this a big step forward in the history of our state.

Not only does this service have the potential to reduce congestion on highways, pollution from car exhaust and reduced chance of fatal encounters with wildlife, the All Aboard Florida line can serve as a spur for redeveloping areas of south Florida that superhighways left behind long ago.

We’re delighted and encouraged by this news of a privately funded and operated passenger rail service coming to Florida.

We wish FECI the best of luck in its endeavors and look forward to taking that first trip in 2014.

 

Lionfish Invasion

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Lionfish Invasion
Blog by Claudia Farren
FWF Communications Consultant

Lion Fish

The lionfish is a popular saltwater aquarium fish with distinctive maroon (or brown) and white stripes, fleshy tentacles above the eyes and below the mouth, and an imposing fan of prickly venomous spines. Having no teeth, lionfish swallow their prey whole. It’s been said their stomach can expand up to thirty times. In warm climates like the Caribbean, they reproduce frequently – every four days -- year-round.

It is no surprise to Florida saltwater fishermen, divers
and many conservationists that the lionfish has quickly become a top predator
in many coral reef environments and is continuing to spread throughout the
Western Atlantic, Bahamas, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. They can be found
as far north as New York state in the summer, as far south as Venezuela, and as
far west as Louisiana. They have formed fast growing colonies almost everywhere
they have expanded their territory. Unfortunately, additional aquatic
environments may also be affected.

In an article published online in June 2011, Recent invasion of a Florida estuarine
system by lionfish, Florida International University researchers documented
the first lionfish invasion of an estuary by capturing 211 lionfish in the
Loxahatchee River between August 2010 and April 2011. Several of the smallest
fish were found more than 3 miles upstream from the Jupiter Inlet suggesting
that small juveniles may settle well into estuarine systems. In a curious
finding, all of the fish were found around man-made structures along the river
bank — docks, sea walls, submerged debris; none were found in natural shoreline habitats such as seagrass beds, sand bottom and mangroves.

One disturbing conclusion by the FIU team: “On coral reefs, invasive lionfish have been shown to reduce recruitment of native fishes by nearly 80% over a 5 wk period (Albins & Hixon 2008); similar predation rates in estuaries could have major, yet undocumented, effects, particularly for species that rely on estuarine systems as nursery habitat. The continued presence of lionfish in estuarine nursery habitats may threaten the early life
history stages of a number of commercially, recreationally, and ecologically
valuable fish species . . . “

Look, but don't touch! Although not fatal to humans, the dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines of lionfish can deliver a painful sting, as well as cause headache, vomiting, and respiratory distress. If you are stung by a lionfish, seek medical attention immediately. Learn protective procedures at a local workshop or derby. Anyone not properly equipped should not handle the fish. If caught on a rod and reel, hold the lionfish over a cooler or bucket and cut the line. (Photo credit: Stephen Vives)

Lionfish are native to coral reefs in the South Pacific and Indian oceans and are not known to have any native predators or parasites. They are often described as gluttonous feeders and voracious predators, feeding on some of society’s most economically-important species like small reef fish, snapper, grouper and shrimp.  For this reason conservationists, fishing groups, divers and others have banded together
to try to slow down this onslaught. Bounties, fish derbies and development as a
food source have all been attempted to try to stem the spread of lionfish
territory.

Belize had a bounty program until it ran out of money, and many fish derbies have been held in Florida and the Caribbean. Last year the Palm Beach Lionfish Derby brought in 700 lionfish; a tournament in Abaco, Bahamas brought in close to 3,000 in one day; and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) together with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary had three lionfish derbies that removed 1,518 lionfish from the Keys. These derbies are not only fun, but contribute to scientific research; help to
raise awareness among fishermen and diving enthusiasts; and teach safe handling
and collection practices. Some even include cooking classes.

Attempts are also being made to develop local food markets. Lionfish taste similar to snapper, are high in Omega 3s and lionfish cookbooks are now available. Bermuda has even developed the slogan “Eat `em to Beat `em”.

Scientists hope that over time predators will learn to
consume lionfish and their population will level off. Until then, you can help
by educating yourself about these creatures, by attending a derby, or just by
asking your local seafood restaurant to serve lionfish on their menu.

REFERENCES

For more information on lionfish, safe handling
practices, derbies in Florida and the Bahamas, and REEF workshops: http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic/lionfish

Buy the Lionfish Cookbook at http://www.reef.org/catalog/cookbook

Lionfish Biology Fact Sheet: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/factsheet.html

FIU Document: http://www2.fiu.edu/~laymanc/PDFs/Jud%20et%20al.%202011%20Estuarine%20Lionfish.pdf

VIDEOS

To watch a portion of the documentary Lionfish, the Beautiful Outlaw, by Paul
Cater Deaton: http://www.paulcaterdeaton.com/music-28.html
To see the full program check your local PBS station listings.

Changing Seas:
Alien Invaders: http://video.wpbt2.org/video/1979166369
Major funding provided by the Batchelor Foundation.

MANATEES AT Wakulla Springs State Park

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manatees
Photo by Lou Kellenberger

FWF Life Member Lou Kellenberger shared an excellent photo and information about the Florida Manatee.

West Indian manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails on each flipper. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The manatee’s closest relatives are the elephant and the hyrax (a small, gopher-sized mammal). Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal. The West Indian manatee is related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller’s sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

Habitat and Range:
Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas — particularly where seagrass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish. Manatees are a migratory species. Within the United States, they are concentrated in Florida in the winter. In summer months, they can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts, but summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are more common. West Indian manatees can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be discontinuous.

Behavior:
Manatees are gentle and slow-moving animals. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and traveling. Manatees are completely herbivorous. They eat a large variety of submerged, emergent, and floating plants and can consume 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation daily. Because they are mammals, they must surface to breathe air. They may rest submerged at the bottom or just below the surface of the water, coming up to breathe on an average of every three to five minutes. When manatees are using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breathe as often as every 30 seconds. When resting, manatees have been known to stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. Manatees can swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts, but they usually only swim about three to five miles per hour.

Lifespan, Mortality, Population: West Indian manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed they can live 60 years or more. As with all wild animal populations, a certain percentage of manatee mortality is attributed to natural causes of death such as cold stress, gastrointestinal disease, pneumonia, and other diseases. A high number of additional fatalities are from human-related causes. Most human-related manatee fatalities occur from collisions with watercraft. Other causes of human-related manatee mortality include being crushed and/or drowned in canal locks and flood control structures; ingestion of fish hooks, litter, and monofilament line; and entanglement in crab trap lines. Ultimately, loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing manatees in the United States today. There is a minimum population count of 4,480 manatees, as of January 2011.

Breeding and Reproduction:
The reproductive rate for manatees is low. Manatees are not sexually mature until they are about five years old. It is believed that one calf is born every two to five years, and twins are rare. The gestation period is about a year. Mothers nurse their young for one to two years, during which time a calf remains dependent on its mother.

Conservation:
The Florida Manatee Recovery Plan was developed as a result of the Endangered Species Act. The recovery plan is coordinated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and sets forth a list of tasks geared toward recovering manatees from their current endangered status.

In October of 1989, Florida’s Governor and Cabinet directed the state’s wildlife agency to work with 13 “key” manatee counties in Florida to reduce injuries and deaths. These 13 counties were: Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Collier, Dade, Duval, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Sarasota, and Volusia. Over the years, these 13 county governments have worked with the state to develop site-specific boat speed zones to reduce the likelihood of watercraft collisions and to implement comprehensive manatee protection plans (MPP) for each county. Other conservation measures deemed important to saving manatees include: research addressing biology, mortality, population and distribution, behavior, and habitat of manatees; implementation of management plans; posting of regulatory speed signs and levying of fines for excess speeds in designated areas; manatee education and public awareness programs; and public acquisition of critical habitat and creation of sanctuaries.

SMC’s Role:
Save the Manatee Club’s mission is to protect endangered manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations. To achieve this mission, we work to: increase public awareness and education; sponsor manatee research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts; and advocate for strong protection measures, such as boat speed zones and sanctuaries. SMC also supports research and conservation efforts for other sirenian species around the world.

Source:  Save the Manatee Club