A roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida:
Rising concerns over mosquito-borne illness | Miami Times
Early forecasts warn of a rainy, wet year ahead, providing an ideal environment for mosquitoes to grow and thrive and creating increased risk for humans of contracting a mosquito-borne illness.
This warning, shared at a recent press conference, comes after historic mosquito-borne illnesses last year, including Florida’s largest dengue fever outbreak in more than 75 years and the first locally transmitted case of malaria in the state in more than 20 years.
“These public servants are unsung heroes,” said Brandon area Sen. Jim Boyd, referring to mosquito control workers. “The potential health threat to tens of millions of Floridians and visitors is dramatically reduced by mosquito control professionals who deploy high-tech tools, scientific research and 24/7 work in the air and on the ground.”
Right whale juvenile found dead off Martha’s Vineyard. Group says species is ‘plunging toward oblivion’ | USA Today
An endangered juvenile right whale was found dead in the water off Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday, entangled in a rope wrapped around its tail, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced.
Marine mammal experts responded to the scene on Monday to investigate, amid snowy conditions, with near-freezing temperatures and reports of wind gusts up to 38 mph. This is the second tragedy involving one of the critically endangered right whales this month; another right whale was seriously injured in a vessel collision.
The cause of this whale’s death or its identity hasn’t yet been determined, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the International Fund for Animal Welfare
When will Piney Point close? We toured the troubled plant | Tampa Bay Times
Closing Piney Point is personal for Jeff Barath.
He has managed the site for 20 years, has watched the plant change ownership multiple times and has navigated several crises.
Not by his choosing, Barath became the spokesperson for HRK Holdings, the company that owned the plant during a 2021 ecological disaster in which roughly 215 million gallons of tainted water from the fertilizer site were sent into Tampa Bay.
If you have any news items of note that you think we should include in our next roundup, please email The Invading Sea Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
