Drifting quietly through the seagrass beds of the Indian River Lagoon is a creature that looks part rabbit, part cloud, and part magician. Meet the sea hare, one of the lagoon’s most unexpected (and oddly charming) residents. Normally these marine mollusks don’t make headlines like dolphins or manatees, but recently there’s been a bit of an online “freakout” about them. Words like invasion and toxic have been tossed around as apparently quite a few washed up on some Treasure

2025 Statistics are Here Shark Fest and Shark Week are in the rearview mirror but every summer they remind us that Florida's waters are home to an incredible diversity of sharks. While the headlines can be dramatic, the statistics tell a much less frightening story, particularly in Florida where numbers are down. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida once again recorded the highest number of shark bites in th

For newcomers to the area, the first time a tropical system puts the Treasure Coast in its cone of uncertainty, the experience can give you a pretty intense case of the yips. Social media lights up, people descend hurriedly upon grocery and hardware stores, water and other items disappear quickly from the shelves, and neighbors are suddenly dragging out the shutters. Things seem weirdly frantic. And somewhere between checking your phone and watching the palms start to bend, i

When Association Rules Meet Wildlife Reality in Florida Few things spark neighborhood debates faster than a flock of Muscovy ducks waddling across a manicured lawn or gathering around a community pond. To some residents, they are charming reminders of nature; to others, they are noisy, messy, and destructive. But when homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and condominium associations (COAs) attempt to manage wildlife issues through community rules or well-intentioned policies, they