Species List

Birds of Prey:

• Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus
  
• Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura
  
• Crested Caracara, Caracara cheriway
• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
• Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus eucocephalus
• Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus

 

PERCHING BIRDS:

• Boat-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus major
• Palm Warbler, Dendroica ciris
• Florida Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma coerulescens

WATER BIRDS:

• Wood Stork, Mycteria americana
• White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchoc
• Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis
• Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
• Tricolored Heron, Egretta tricolor
• Green Heron, Butorides virescens
• Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus
• Pie-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps
• Anhinga, Anhinga anhinga
  
• Roseate Spoonbill, Ajaia ajaia
• Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors
• American Wigeon, Anas americana
• Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata
• Lesser Scalup, Aythya affinis
• Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
• American Coot, Fulica americana
  
• Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
• Great Egret, Ardea alba
• Reddish Egret, Egretta rufescens
  
• Snowy Egret, Egretta thula
• Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
• Purple Gallinule,  Porphyrio martinicus
  
• Limpkin, Aramus guarauna
• Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea
• Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

Misc:

• Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla
  
• Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo
  

Reptiles

• American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis
• Florida Softshell Turtle, Trionyx ferox
• Brown Anole, Anolis sagrei
• Brown Water Snake, Nerodia taxispilota

Mammals

• Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis
• Nine-banded Armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus
• White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus
• Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana

Insects

• Great Southern White, Ascia monuste
  Butterfly.
• Ruddy Daggerwing, Marpesia petreus
  Butterfly.

Plants

• Cabbage Palmetto, Sabal palmetto
• Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens
• Spanish Moss, Tillandsia usneoides
  
• White Mangrove, Laguncularia racemosa
  
• Brazilian Pepper-tree, Schinus terebinthifolius
  
• Sawgrass, Cladium jamaicense
• Southern Cattail, Typha domingensis
  
• Sea Grape, Coccoloba uvifera
• Pond Apple, Annona glabra 
• Red Mangrove, Rhizophora mangle

Day 9- Last Day, Lovers Key

5th  March 2016

The last day on our American adventure, it had come all too quickly but that just spurred us on to get out there and bask in all the glory of the Sunshine State.

We drove a short distance to Lovers Key Carl E. Johnson State Park, supposedly the last push and best bet for an encounter with a West Indian Manatee. We had been told before that it was likely we’d see one in various other places but to no avail and so when we were told this was the place to be we were all a little sceptical while still keeping our fingers crossed. Our expert manatee viewing platform was nothing but a wooden bridge by the car park, but to everyone’s sudden delight, the planets aligned and we were treated to a farewell by a herd (just 3) of manatee (Trichechus manatus). As they swam (or floated?) over to us and under the bridge we were able to see there heavily whiskered faces and our trip was complete!

But of course this was merely the start of the day and Lovers Key then treated us to the 4.5 mile nature trail. This is where we were shown an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) who was supposedly in its hole in that same tree each year this trip is run. Along the walk we came across more Gopher Tortoise holes that we had observed the day before at Barefoot Beach as well.

A species others had already seen but that I had missed until this day was the Gnat Catcher (Polioptila caerulea) a bird that is very closely related to the Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes). Quite a humorously named tree was pointed out to us, gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba) is commonly known as the ‘Tourist Tree’ due to its peeling red bark similar to the sunburnt skin of the tourists who visit the area. Luckily, this wasn’t us, not until later that day anyway.

While walking the beach trail, a small group of us tried our hand at a very popular local activity, shelling. We were able to identify; Fighting Conch (Strombus pugilis), Shark’s Eye (Neverita duplicate), Lightening Whelk (Sinitrofulgur perversum), Scallop, Cat’s Paw (Plicatula giblosa), Purple Tagelus (Tagelus divisus) and a fragment of the very pretty Alphabet Cone (Conus spurius). We also found a Sand Dollar (Mellita quinquiesperforata) and a dead Banded Serpant Star (Class- Ophiuroidea).

Well, the last day had come to an end so there was nothing left to do but pack our things and get some sleep before the flight the next day. Never anywhere in the world I have been have I seen so much biodiversity.

BEST FIELDTRIP EVER!

P.s. Saw a Swallow-Tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) the way to the airport the next day *triumphant “Tick!”*

Day 8- Corkscrew Swamp!

4th of March 2016

Corkscrew swamp originally arose as a protected area in the late 1800’s when plume hunting (particularly of wading birds) became lucrative. The Audubon Society was formed by private citizens over the country, these members were deputised by local law enforcement with authority to use lethal force.

After a quick talk from Rich one of the rangers we headed out onto the 2.25 mile long boardwalk. As we travelled through we identified each of the different habitats, the pine flatwoods, wet prairie, lettuce lakes, bald cypress and pond cypress.

The Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) are true giants, many growing over 100ft and many older than the country they now stand in, the USA. These slow growing giants are a native deciduous conifer that are stand alone habitats and home for many species themselves.

Their branches support several epiphyte species such as Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) and Staghorn fern (Genus- Platycerium). The Spanish Moss is particularly fond of The Bald Cypress due to the fact that it has a high leaching of calcium which this Bromeliad species likes to get as much as they can of.

Another interesting species to note from Corkscrew was the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) which is a leafless perennial orchid with photosynthetic roots. It is endangered and the largest of its kind ever discovered, it unfortunately wasn’t in bloom when we visited. However, it is a fantastic example of the specificity of orchids when it comes to pollination. The Giant Sphinx Moth (Cocytius antaeus) is the only organism on the CONTINENT with a proboscis long enough to pollinate the orchids exceptionally long nectar spur. This is a relationship akin to the famous Morgan’s Sphinx Moth (Xanthopan morganii) and the Comet Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale).

Corkscrew Swamp is also the site for much incredibly important research and has continuous data sets on the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) colony dating to 1959!

Much restoration work must also go on at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary which now covers over 13,000 acres and must be managed using prescribed fire to keep control of invasives such as the notorious Brazilian Pepper Tree. They also manage for wading birds in the sanctuary as it is estimated 2.5million wading birds occupied the Everglades before development and has since dropped 95%.

They also use a machine called a Gyro-Trac that mimics the effects of a wildfire by removing above ground woody vegetation and turning it to mulch. This allows sunlight to stimulate the germination of the dormant seed bank in the soil. This vehicle,  similar in appearance to a mini bulldozer, has proved to be even more effective at restoration than prescribed fire and herbicide use!

Highlight of the day though has ither to go to the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) or the 10 minute period of rain that we experienced rather than hiding away. In the depths of this ancient swamp, it was the closest we’d ever get to travelling back in time and the smell of petrichor made it feel all the more real!

After disgruntledly leaving Corkscrew we journeyed on to Barefoot Beach, a 342 acre preserve on a barrier island separated from the mainland by White and Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle & Laguncularia racemosa) swamps and tidal creeks.

Number 1 on my list of things to see upon arriving here was a Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus)… I had see 3 before we even parked. This species is considered to be a keystone species meaning it has a disproportionately large impact on its environment. In the case of Gopher Tortoise this is because they are a burrowing species, they use these to protect themselves from predation and the elements. However, this makes them a keystones species because there are at least 360 known species that also use these burrows including; snakes, opossums, rabbits, armadillos and lizards. While walking the nature trail we were rude enough to interrupt two Gopher Tortoises appearing to mate, though we didn’t want to interrupt so speedily walked off.

The mile long nature trail has over 60 native plant species tagged and labelled. There was also a butterfly garden planted which contains over 40 different butterfly attracting plants.

Once the trail had been walked and we were on the beach itself we were able to see Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) flying in their ‘squadron’ formation. We were even lucky enough to see that they dive bill-first like a kingfisher often submerging completely below the surface. Once surfaced they spill the water from the throat pouch before swallowing their catch. Only the Peruvian pelican (Pelecanus thagus) shares this active foraging style with the Brown pelican. I was also able to find a fragment of a Pen Shell (Family- Pinnidae), an intact Ponderous Ark (Noetia ponderosa) & Turkey Wing (Arca zebra).

And so after another amazing day and a trip-wide game of Frisbee in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico we headed back to Vester for the night.

Day 7-Kapnik Centre & Botanical Gardens

3rd of March 2016

A most peculiar thing happened on the morning of the 3rd of March 2016… we were given a lie-in! Yes it’s true, after the constant stream of early morning we had been allowed to stay in our bunks for an extra hour or two.

But to us, the now seasoned explorers, this was unacceptable! We couldn’t waste a morning and so we rose at a normal time and cast off in pairs from Vester’s boat slips in our canoes. We were eager to examine every nook and cranny of this mangrove mosaic and at points this led us into dead ends.

This was ultimately a good thing as these cul-de-sacs were often much less used by boats and the louder wetland visitors. This meant that we managed to get up close to species such as the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and we were even able to observe a family of Osprey (Pandion haliatus) enjoy a nice fishy breakfast. However, the highlight of that morning and perhaps even the trip had to be given to the Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Their easily identifiable dorsal fin was first spotted following a motor boat. After seeing this, the group of us gave chase and began following the ripples until the dolphins began showing off and eventually gave up and sped off into deeper waters.

After all this excitement we headed off to The Everglades Wetland Research Park and were given a talk in the Kapnik centre by Prof Bill Mitsch, an expert who literally wrote the book on ‘Wetlands’.

Wetlands are a rising star in the field of carbon sequestration and storage with Bill Mitsch contributing a lot of research to the field. But while they are one of the most important carbon sequestration systems in the natural world, they also emit carbon dioxide and methane due to the anaerobic conditions they grow in.

Global average surface temperatures have increased by 0.85°C between 1880 and 2012. Sea levels are rising at 3.2mm per year (3.2cm per decade), or 1 foot per century. This kind of data scares individuals in the low lying state of Florida as it should given that Miami (10ft above sea) itself is already seeing the effects.

‘Blue Carbon’, a term Bill Mitsch seemed keen for us to research in our own time refers to the amount of carbon captured by the world’s oceans and coastal ecosystems. This carbon is captured by organisms in the oceans and stored in the form of biomass and sediments in mangroves, salt marshes, sea grasses and algae. Combined, these 3 environments cover approximately 43Mha. When these environments are destroyed or degraded they release all of the emissions they have been storing for centuries. This is a huge problem in South East Asia where mangroves are cut down to create large ponds for prawn farming. But these ponds only last about 5 years which just continues the destruction and emission. 1.02 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide is released annually which is around 19% of all tropical deforestation.

The Blue Carbon Initiative is a global program focussed on mitigating climate change through conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems. These systems are some of the world’s most productive with 83% of carbon being circulated through the oceans. The aforementioned coastal habitats while only covering less than 2% of ocean area account for about 50% of the sequestered carbon.

Florida has approximately 5,000km² of mangroves which sequester about 22,000 US tonnes of carbon which is equal to around 110,000 cars emissions. These very same mangroves are worth 1.6 billion/$yr in ecosystem services in the form of flood protection, water purification etc.

Bill Mitsch also outlined the 4 different types of mangrove;

• Fringe Mangroves (Shoreline and overwash islands)
• Riverine Mangroves (Bordering rivers- Most productive)
• Basin Mangroves (Near coastline in small pockets)
• Dwarf (scrub) Mangroves (Occurs as scrub)

Hydrogen Sulphide which is found in the saltwater actually combats the production of methane.

We then went for a walk around Naples Botanical Garden. Any plant species I found in here I chose not to include in my species list as the gardens was set out with different ecotones in different areas. There was a Brazilian Garden with amongst other things, Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea). Near the Chinese Garden I noticed an orchid with the familiar shape of one in our very own Bangor University Treborth Gardens. It was a dancing doll orchid of which I could see 2 different species of while at the Gardens.

A visit to the butterfly  proved fruitful as we saw Atala (Eumaeas atala), Julia (Dryas iulia) and Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus). Before heading to the next talk we had lined up, I decided to check the apical meristem of a group of bromeliad plants that can often be a moist mid day refuge for amphibians. Within a group of around 20 bromeliad plants I found one that was inhabited by some form of frog that I was unable to identify due to him being tucked away so well.

Our talk that evening was given by David M. Lodge. The subject, the price and prevention of invasive species. David spoke of an invasive example, the Kudzu plant (Pueraria lobata) which was introduced in 1938. It was a great legume that prevented soil erosion and fixed nitrogen when the kudzu bug (Megacopta cribraria) came over and despite its coevolution with kudzu, it preferred soy bean (Glycine max) and caused a loss of 20% of their prime range. Alien species such as these cost the US $120 billion a year which is the same cost as the Iraq war (Canada-$35Bp/y, Europe- $16Bp/y). The approach that has appeared time and again in the past with invasives has been- suffer, react, adapt.

What should be happening is what is happening in Australia which is the use of statistical analysis and species profiling. Australia has been using this for about 20 years and very successfully too. The next step if that fails is the use of environmental DNA for forecasting their ranges. This method can also be used to help rare species.

There should also be a lot more research and development around the invasives problem rather than weeds. As at the moment all efforts are going into GMO crops resistant to weeds.

This had been a fantastic day, but a long one. We journeyed home to Vester with many sleeping the day off in the minibus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 6- Invasive Species & Snorkelling

2nd March 2016

Fort Lauderdale was the destination for this morning and after another long drive we were once again eager to get out and get stuck in.

A talk on the issue of invasive species in South Florida was first, led by Jake Edwards. He outlined the 5 sequential and  escalating steps that are taken when there is an issue with a non native species these were, in order;

• Prevention
• Early detection
• Rapid Response
• Control management
• Education

As time goes on or the invasive species problem worsens, strategy moves down this list and cost increases.

There are 600 non native species in Florida, over 50 of which are reptiles (Only 30 native reptiles). Invasive species cost Floridians $500 million a year and are, worldwide, one of the biggest causes of species endangerment and endangerment. The Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA) is a system of grouping areas and providing responsibility of those areas to local groups (Government). They also help promote knowledge of invasives while also providing a hotline in case of sightings. Florida is described by them as a ‘hotspot’ for invasive species. This is due to multiple factors including the sub tropical climate, ideal for many herps, and the exotic pet trade. The trade of some species becomes illegal in states where this organism has become invasive due to release by humans who are unwillingly to care or rehome them.

One such species that has now become illegal to own is the Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus). It was first discovered as being invasive in 2010. Management strategy includes the crude but effective ‘Boats & Guns’ method. Yes luckily it is luckily a bit more scientific than that and the bodies of individuals are collected for research into diet and health etc. This species was likely brought over in the exotic pet trade and perhaps due to its large adult size or it’s requirement for experienced care was released into the wild where it thrived. One of the reasons for this being that Florida has plenty of one of the monitor’s favourite foods, Alligator eggs. It is unclear with current data but this could be impacting the gator population. 47 of these nuisances have been removed from the population since 2012.

Another of Florida’s most distinctive invasive species is the Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae) . The Tegu is another large reptile with a fully grown adult measuring around 4ft in length. This species is proving to we a worthy adversary as they eat a wide variety of native and non native species and hide out in burrows in the winter. One possible problem of the Tegu if the situation worsens is that they will become a problem for agriculture as they eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. We were even lucky enough during the talk to have a visit from Max, the tegu who was rather attractive indeed. Tegus are listed species however and so therefore are legally protected wherever they are found despite any ecological damage they may be causing. The same problem is had with the Barasingha Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii) which grows to the size of an Elk and was release in Texas for sport hunting due to its impressive set of antlers.

Jake Edwards, the man giving us the talk then told us about the Burmese Python (Python molurus bivitattus). As their name suggests, this particular snake is originally from South East Asia. It’s possible that these snakes were brought home by troops after the Vietnam War, given that the first reports of their arrival were in the 1970’s. In 2000’s they found the species was breeding and is since 2008 a conditional species (illegal to own). These snakes have impacted native mammal populations significantly. They often eat imperilled species as well such as the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) and are fully able to eat Bobcat (Lynx rufus), White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)and Alligators.

To deal with the ever increasing numbers of these constrictors the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) teamed up with the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to set up the Python Challenge. This scheme is unlike any I’ve heard of before and seems ingenious. Not only is it a competition that removed 106 Burmese python in the month it ran in 2016, it also educates a large group of people on the dangers of invasives and how to identify them. 510 people took training for the event with 1066 registered to compete which means that 1066 more people know how to identify and catch a python safely and also who to call should they need them removing. The competition also generates a huge data pool on where these species are found, their sizes and ages.

The talk this morning kept me thinking as we drove to Key Largo for a session of snorkelling on a coral reef as one of Florida’s main invasive species is the Lionfish (Pterois volitans & Pterois miles) a species that has intrigued me since a young age. As bad as this is for an ecologist, I really hoped we’d see one of these beautiful and deadly fish. Around 93% of the Lionfish off the coast are P. volitans. It is thought that Lionfish were released into the Atlantic and Caribbean in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew  destroyed an aquarium releasing six Lionfish into Biscayne Bay.

Upon arrival we got changed into our swimming costumes and headed out on the boat. Before even leaving the harbour for open waters we managed to see Black Spiny-Tailed Iguanas (Ctenasaura similis).

After a short talk from one of the crewmen about not touching the coral due to its fragility, we were off! With the aid of our snorkels and flippers we navigated the reef system, surprisingly the only barrier reef on continental US. The entire reef system contains more than 6000 individual reefs which all began developing after the Wisconsinan glaciation 5000-7000 years ago.

A cornucopia of biological diversity was below the waves. We saw many coral species including hard corals such as the brain coral (Family Mussidae) and other organisms such as Sea Fans (Order Alcyonacea). In the way of animals, we saw a Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), a Spotted Trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis) & Southern Stingray (Dasyatis Americana). We also were able to see many Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) exhibiting there stereotypical grinding feeding method.

After what felt like 10 minutes (supposedly 90 minutes!) we boarded again, drove back to the harbour and had another long drive back to Vester for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5-Tamiami & Trailor Parks

1st of March 2016

The morning drive this day definitely wins best name in my book, The Tamiami Trail was our route to our first destination, a drive round the loop road. This road was supposedly the place to go for Panther spotting, an activity that seemed ever more appealing after the talk the day before.

Though I held little hope of actually sighting one of these endangered creatures, I was very excited by the prospect of all the other wildlife that was encountered. From our already heavily indented minibus seats we spotted a plethora of tropical bird species. Two favourites of mine being the Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) whose latin name means “Night Raven” due to it’s nocturnal feeding habits and Crow- like call. And the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) who was usually spotted, where expected, upon telegraph poles which provide ideal look out posts for fishing.

One of our more enjoyable driving games came in the form of sighting Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) not yellow cars and tallying the number over the period of the day. We reached a whopping 91 on the loop road alone and over 110 over the day. On one of our stops to admire the view we spotted our old friend the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea guttata) previously encountered at LILA. This species has an interesting defence mechanism observed in the field and later researched where it excretes a dark liquid that is foul-smelling and tasting when disturbed.

After lack of panther sightings we were ready for a bit of excitement and nearby Coopertown had the perfect pick me up. Airboats! Airboats are not only extremely cool contraptions but they are incredibly practical for navigating the winding waterways of the “River of Grass” (the meaning of the name Everglades). Their design removes the certainty of turbines getting caught in grass and also disturbs the life under the water less.

Our guide and skipper provided a lot of useful information including the surprising fact that The Everglades is actually classed as a river. Therefore making it the slowest flowing river in the world with an average flow rate of around 1 mile a day, or if you like, 0.042 mph. It’s around 50 miles wide and 100 miles long. He also mentioned that alligators often have territory of around a mile squared that is viciously defended.

This was the fact that rang through my head when we came across 3 within sight. It wouldn’t be a stretch to believe the company is feeding these gators to be there. Feeding a gator is a big issue, it can cause ‘nuisance’ behaviours that can get the animal shot.

This information about the mile wide territory rang again upon return from the ride. We had a tourist type talk (not by a scientist) about alligators. Referenced during the talk were the many adult and juvenile gators they kept there, one of which reaching 15ft! The man  leading the talk informed us that alligator have 80 teeth and what is know as an ‘egg tooth’ when they’re freshly hatched which helps them get out of their egg but is lost within a couple of days. He also outlined the way to tell male and females apart, which until then I didn’t know was possible at a glance. However, apparently females eyes bulge more out of the skull and males snouts are shorter and more U-shaped.

Once we’d had our talk and a look around the gator enclosures we set off for Vester for the night. I think even now I’m not sure how I feel about the ethics of a place like that. Especially when I remember that in the wild their territory would be a mile squared as opposed to an enclosure not even suitable for a game of football (soccer, whichever).

 

 

 

 

Day 4-FGCU! Banding, Slogging and Panthers

29th of February 2016

A day at FGCU is not how I would have imagined it if asked before arrival. Their was so much going on in an ecological sense even within university grounds. At Bangor we take great pleasure in visiting Snowdonia or Anglesey for our fieldwork. If we were at FGCU it sounds as though we could just walk out of the back of the car park, the setting for our first activity.

Bird ringing (Banding) is something I’ve always been interested in and we got given a crash course and talk on the practice by expert Jerry Jackson who is a certified bird bander and ornithologist at FGCU. Firstly, he took us for a short walk through the scrub at the back of the carpark where he had set up mist nets to catch passing birds. The name of these nets is very understandable as they are so fine that you have to see them in the right light or from an angle to be able to see them. As we came across the first captured bird Jerry explained the process of leaving the nets loosely set up so that any birds are collected in these pockets and kept safely until the bander arrives.

We continued collecting the birds that’d been caught when Jerry finally decided to mention the presence of Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) that we could have been brushing up against in our shorts. He pointed one out and explained that they didn’t just take the form of a ground plant (that we saw there) but also a shrub and a climbing plant. Luckily none of us made contact with this species as it can cause extreme itching and irritation for up to 2 weeks.

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

Jerry continued to prove his knowledge outside his field of ornithology by providing us with information on the workings of the local forest ecosystems. Due to Florida’s fondness for electrical storms (Which occur around 90 days in the year!) the flora has evolved to embrace this usually deadly cause of wildfires. While some have evolved to be protected from the fire e.g. the Saw Palmetto, others have evolved to use it. The Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii), the dominant tree species in this particular habitat, has two main adaptations. A flaky bark that when burning merely falls off the tree to protect the main trunk of the tree. And even more interestingly, the needles of the tree group in threes so that when they are shed they don’t lie flat. These accumulate and form ‘Duffs’ which are huge piles of highly oxygenated fuel, unlike in deciduous forest where broadleaves lie flat on the ground creating low oxygen. This oxygen rich fuel source means that wildfires are classed as ‘cool’ because they burn so quickly they cause very little damage to the area. The needles also contain a flammable resin which causes them to burn even quicker!

 

Upon returning to the ‘Banding Station’ (Some tables at the edge of the scrub) we began to identify the birds we had transported in socks. We were shown the different grips that are used, the Photographer’s grip and the Bander’s grip were tried out by many of us and I have to say was a bit of a highlight. We identified Pine Warblers (Dendroica pinus ) and a Grey Cat Bird (Dumetella carolinensis). The Grey Cat Bird is so named after it’s “mew” sounding call but also its ‘whiskers’ around it beak which helps guide insects towards it’s mouth (Ringed at 02223). While showing off his banding skills Jerry told us of how bird banding was made possible by the invention of lightweight metals such as an aluminium alloy (NOT pronounced Aluminum) by Alcoa in 1893. The scientific process of bird banding was first adopted by Hans Christian Cornellius but he used zinc which was far too heavy. Banding data has been so useful that it even allowed the prediction of the arrival of the West Nile Virus. Two measurements were taken on each individual before banding; one being the wing core and the other being of the tail feathers using the width of the two central tail feathers. One of the warblers flew away however and another died during the talk due to severe malnutrition and stress, this was identified due to the predominant keel.

Now, the part of the field trip I was the most excited about, SLOGGING! Yes, wading like the very birds we had observed earlier (but much less graceful in some cases) would not sound like the most enticing activity to most. But you forget, we are scientists and so we were all too happy to submerge waist deep to fully immerse ourselves in the experience.

Accompanied by the greatest Wynn (Everham) that side of the Atlantic we walked without hesitation into one of the many wetland ponds around the university. Wynn is a systems ecologist at FGCU and talked at length about their unusually wet January they’d had which had become the wettest on record.

Once we had ventured into the bald cypress habitat Wynn highlighted the need to be careful of our footing around the cypress ‘knees’, a type of aerial root who’s purpose is yet to be proven. The first of the two main schools of thought are that they function similarly to the pneumatophore snorkels of Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) by providing oxygen for the root system in the oxygen poor waterlogged soils. The other is that they are used as a type of anchorage to provide stability, particularly important in Florida given the frequency of tropical storms. Personally I hope they’re both true as these beautiful trees deserve to stick around.

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During our exploration of this area we saw many species including my favourite, the Fishing Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus). This arachnid reminded me of a species I’m more familiar with, the Pond Skater, due to it’s ability to use the surface tension of the water to walk on. I observed one stationary on a reed leaf with its front legs touching the water sensing for ripples that would indicate the presence of it’s prey. Unfortunately for this individual my own movements were disguising any of its choice prey, smaller insects.

On our walk to the canteen for what was to be a mammoth challenge, we found holes that had recently been used by Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus) to hatch they’re young. This meant that we were able to see the shell casings. We even had the honour of seeing this elusive species thanks to telemetry as this particular individual had been radio tagged by the university. We surely wouldn’t have seen it otherwise as its camouflage made it near impossible to see even once pointed out under its palmetto frond.

After the herculean lunch, our troop of sluggish students had a talk on the endangered Florida Panther (Puma concolor). This particular sub-species only has a range of Southern Florida and it’s population is only 160-180. The main causes of the panther’s decline are; motor-vehicle collisions, Habitat loss and fragmentation (Florida has seen a lot of urbanisation) and disease from domestic cats.

Many steps have been taken to try and reduce anthropogenic effects on this beautiful big cat, including the creation of wildlife crossings. These sort of underpasses allow wildlife to cross between habitat fragments without risk of collision with cars. The crossings have a second benefit as they funnel the wildlife, motion activated cameras are able to take pictures of them which helps with data collection and allows estimations to be made of number of each species occupying that particular territory including black bears (Ursus americanus).

Another important conservation step is the use of radio collaring and telemetry to locate and collect vital data about the Panther’s different territories and movements. Sadly though only very few cougars have managed to be collared.

Looking back, this was my favourite day and I think everyone left FGCU planning some sort of study abroad that would allow them to see Jerry and Wynn again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2- Merritt Island & Kennedy Space Centre

27th of February 2016

Our first real day in Florida! Early morning? No problem. Motivation came in the knowledge of the adventure ahead. After a drive to Titusville we arrived at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The refuges origins are rather interesting as the 140,000 acres of land was actually purchased by NASA in 1962 for development of the John F. Kennedy Space Centre. They built a new launch complex and some other facilities but much of the land was unused and so the next year an agreement was signed with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to turn the land into a refuge.

These vast 140,000 acres span many habitat types each attracting their own combination of 1500 species of flora and fauna as well as 15 federally listed species. They include; coastal dunes, saltwater marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub & pine flatwoods.

What is fascinating to a UK ecologist like myself is that unlike much that I’ve studied many of these habitats have actually evolved not only to tolerate the regular occurrence of fire but to require it for many stages in its life cycle. This natural process is induced as a management tactic with the use of prescribed fire. Merritt Island NWR averages around 12,634 acres of prescribed fire a year. These fires are started to burn off accumulated and potentially dangerous fuels e.g. pine needles. The pines that shed these needles are dependant on wildfires (or prescribed) to live. Also the endemic Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) requires sandy scrub habitat only possible with the use of fire.

Another of their major management practices is the use of dykes to alter the water level in different impoundments. By allowing a variety of depths throughout the reserve Merritt Island NWR is able to support a much vaster community as each species has different requirements.

We were taken on a guided talk after a short talk and were treated to even more species sightings including Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei), Softshell Turtle (Trionyx ferox), Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) and Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). Anhinga were frequently seen perched on branches with their wings outstretched to dry themselves, a behaviour adopted due to their natural lack of waterproofing oils. We were shown the Brazilian Pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) which is an invasive in the state and out competes everything else. It has spread rapidly since about 1940 and s now considered a Category 1 pest by The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FL EPPC). This is kept under control by refuge staff with spraying of herbicides, likely Triclopyr or glyphosate.

Anhinga drying it’s feathers (Anhinga anhinga)

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

Another prevalent tree species we sighted was the White Mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa). One of the three species of mangrove that Florida has to offer. This was an exciting moment for me as I am a great admirer of mangroves and they’re many adaptations. The adaptations of this particular species is a thick waxy leaf for conserving water during periods of drought and 2 glands at the base of each leaf that exude excess salts. These glands provide the competitive advantage that allows them to grow in halophytic conditions and therefore avoid competition.

After our thoroughly informative walk during which we spotted our first American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) of the trip. We went to a special Manatee viewing point. I had little hope of seeing a manatee at this view point as the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) cannot tolerate temperatures of below 68°F (20°C) as this causes their digestive tract to shut down. Given that we were there at a brisk 62°F, if we had seen any manatee, they would have been in grave danger. Cold stress accounts for around 7% of all WI Manatee deaths compared to 25% being due to collisions with watercraft. This led to the creation of manatee zones where watercraft must keep below a maximum speed to reduce risk of collision with these once endangered species. Since the creation of these zones manatee have now been classified as merely threatened.

Florida Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys nelsoni)

American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

After this we headed over to The Kennedy Space Centre for the rest of the day. This was a fantastic experience and one I would recommend to all however there is very little to report on about wildlife and conservation. Apart from the fact that we spotted a Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) and a Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana). The bus in front of us (I think containing the lecturers and supervisors) however had the honour of seeing a Bobcat (Lynx rufus) though. A fact I won’t forget when filling out module evaluations (FAIL).

The NASA logo at the enterance to Kennedy Space Centre

Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3- LILA

28th of February 2016

We rose like every morning to come, early. We packed our bags and said goodbye to The Seralago as that night we would be staying at The Vester Field Station of FGCU. This field station was the perfect place for our group of budding zoologist/ecologists as it houses facilities that are used in many areas of research ranging from sea grass ecology & ecotoxicology all the way to shellfish biology and ecosystem restoration. As you can probably guess, we were all very excited. However, before we were to reach our bunks for the night we would be visiting Lake Okeechobee and the Loxahatchee reserve.

After the usual few hours of staring out of bus windows spotting gators at the road side we arrived at Lake Okeechobee, locally known as “The Big O”. We could see instantly why it had this name and why some even call it Florida’s Inland Sea. It was huge! Roughly 730 square miles and bordering 5 counties it is the 7th largest freshwater lake in the US but is exceptionally shallow with an average depth of 9ft. This water body is of great importance to both humans and wildlife. It is a vast freshwater supply for the human population and also a habitat for many freshwater fish species. It also feeds into the Everglades National Park therefore regulating the salinity of the brackish water found within it.

Lake Okeechobee

Soon after, we reached LILA- The Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment. Which is essentially, a huge natural laboratory in which researchers are able to carry out cause and effect experiments without worry of confounding variables. We were guided round by a former Bangor University student, Mark Cross.

LILA is essentially designed to be a model Everglades, or a macrocosm. With its own tree islands, ridges and sloughs. It is used to test out restoration techniques before they are implemented in the Everglades themselves.  It is used primarily to research hydrology and its effect on the everglades many habitats and inhabitants. They do this by allowing in more or less water in different impoundments.

Mark informed us that one of the major problems that faces The Everglades is eutrophication from the agriculture industry. This wetland ecosystem is naturally aligotrophic and so nutrient enrichment causes an over growth of cat tail grasses (Typha domingensis). These grasses outcompete the native saw grass (Cladium jamaicense) and shade the water preventing growth of aquatic plants and cease primary production.

The nutrient content before the intervention of humans was around 10ppm and has since, at its worst, risen to 300ppm! Luckily, due to restoration efforts this figure is now back down to 30ppm. However, one of the issues with restoration of this nature is the ‘Legacy Effect’ which describes the recycling of nutrients (particularly phosphorous) within an environment.

To try and understand one of the three main features of the wetland, the tree island, 7000 trees were planted over the four 20 acre macrocosms to try and find the so called “Goldilock zone” where the population was stable. 50% of these trees have died since the beginning of the experiment and 60-70% of the tree islands were lost. One of the reasons that this research is being carried out is that there is very little data or record of what the environment was like before the mass draining in the 1940’s when around 80% of wading birds were lost (this data is present due to the industry of plume hunting at the time).

One of the most important fauna is the Crayfish. There importance was only realised after a major drought which caused a population boom in wading birds due to the decreased competition with fish for baby crayfish. This was tested by killing off 25,000 with poison which resulted in a quadrupling of the crayfish population.

Another issue in the Everglades is invasive species. We came across one of these on our walk around the reserve; the Island Apple Snail (Pomacea maculata). This species is outcompeting the native Florida Apple Snail (Pomacea paludose) this was evident by the end of our walk due to the fact we found non of the natives shells but many of he invasives. However, this may not be the negative that most invasive species are as the Island Apple Snail is actually eaten by the endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) and could actually benefit it’s conservation efforts.

After our tour and talks we returned to the buses and drove to The Vester Field Station, our base camp for the remainder of the trip!

Juvenile Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea microptera)

Spider Lily (Hymenocallis caribaea)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 1 – Bangor to Florida!

26th of March 2016

Overview

Florida, The Sunshine State as it is officially known, is at the very south- eastern tip of the United States of America. As far as climate goes, as I’m sure is clear from it’s name, it is almost polar opposite of Wales. The majority of it’s land is characterised as a humid sub-tropical climate. With only the very southern tip being divided between equatorial savannah, equatorial monsoon and equatorial rainforest. The majority of our field trip was to be spent around Bonita Beach and The Everglades National Park which fall within the equatorial savannah climate. This means that along with the rest of Florida it does have one thing in common with Wales, rain. But like most things in America, it does it in much vaster quantities. In nearby Naples, at the peak of the wet season (June) the average rainfall is 236mm a month. This combination of high precipitation and tropical temperature (30-35°C average in June, July and August) give rise to a land rich and vibrant in it’s flora and fauna.

Location of Seralago Hotel

 

Day 1- Early rise and Egrets

The sun had yet to rise on our first day, when we were to meet the coach to take us to Manchester Airport. 5.45am is a time of day I only ever see when staying up all night finishing an assignment but for once, I was happy to be awake. A group of 28 bleary-eyed travellers boarded the coach and slept there way to Manchester Airport. After 9 and a half hours of ‘fasten seatbelt’ signs, plastic cutlery and seemingly endless coffee refills, we had arrived. The first impressions of Florida came through the small airplane windows in the form of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta), Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) and Cabbage Palms (Sabal palmetto). Yes, it was clear, we weren’t in Bangor anymore.

After collecting the minibuses (essentially our homes for the entire trip) we drove from Orlando to the Seralago Hotel & Suites in Kissimmee. The drive had already offered up many species we had never seen before and that we’d become very familiar with over the next 10 days. Black Vultures (Coragypus atratus), Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja). However, unlike the geckos skulking around behind the outdoor light fixtures, by the time we reached the hotel it was time for me to turn in.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)