florida

Alarm as Florida Set to Begin Release of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes

Alarm as Florida Set to Begin Release of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes

By Jake Johnson Environmentalists and Florida residents voiced concern and outrage Monday as state government officials and the biotechnology giant Oxitec announced plans to move ahead this week with a pilot project that involves releasing up to a billion genetically engineered mosquitoes in Monroe County over a two-year period. Presented by local authorities as an […]

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    NFL Green Tackles Coral Restoration Project in Florida Ahead of Super Bowl LV

    NFL Green Tackles Coral Restoration Project in Florida Ahead of Super Bowl LV

    When we think of the Super Bowl — America’s most popular sporting event, according to Arcadia Publishing — ocean conservation and military veterans usually aren’t top of mind. But, for the last two years, a unique collaboration ahead of the annual game has placed coral restoration at the forefront of the world’s attention. For almost […]

    Police Raid Florida Home of Fired COVID Dashboard Designer

    Police Raid Florida Home of Fired COVID Dashboard Designer

    Rebekah Jones, the Florida data scientist who said she was fired in May after refusing to manipulate data on a widely praised coronavirus dashboard that she designed, had an even more dramatic encounter with the state government Monday when the police raided her Tallahassee home. Jones said in a Twitter thread that police entered her […]

    Endangered Sea Turtles Are Recovering After ‘Cold Stunning’ Event

    Endangered Sea Turtles Are Recovering After ‘Cold Stunning’ Event

    Hundreds of endangered sea turtles were stranded on beaches after suffering “cold stunning” in the waters off Cape Cod, Mass. Local rescuers and wildlife rehabilitators stabilized the turtles at the New England Aquarium (NEAQ) and National Marine Life Center and began treatment. Many of the sea turtles were transported by land or air to partner […]

    Tropical Storm Eta Hits Florida Keys; Central American Death Toll Rises

    Tropical Storm Eta Hits Florida Keys; Central American Death Toll Rises

    A restrengthening Tropical Storm Eta hit the Florida Keys Sunday night. Officials warn it could strengthen into a hurricane and dump six to 12 inches of rain across an already saturated South Florida as it meanders around the southeastern Gulf of Mexico for days. Eta’s Florida landfall comes as its human toll in Central America […]

    Flying Squirrel Poaching Ring Broken up by Florida Wildlife Investigators

    Flying Squirrel Poaching Ring Broken up by Florida Wildlife Investigators

    In January of 2019, a concerned citizen in Marion County, Florida noticed something strange: Someone was trapping flying squirrels. The anonymous tipster notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), launching a 19-month investigation that uncovered an elaborate flying-squirrel trafficking operation in which up to 3,600 of the protected animals were captured and sold […]

    ‘A Jurassic Park Experiment’: Watchdog Groups Condemn Decision to Release Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in Florida

    ‘A Jurassic Park Experiment’: Watchdog Groups Condemn Decision to Release Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in Florida

    By Lisa Newcomb Food safety and environmental groups Wednesday condemned a decision by officials in Florida to approve the release of 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes, a pilot project aimed at reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. “With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida—the Covid-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate […]