beaches

Seagulls lay in the sand as Monica Madrigal finds her way to the ocean through a thick raft of Sargassum seaweed that washed up on the seashore by the 71st Street area in Miami Beach in 2020.

Coming soon to Florida beaches: Massive, messy and maybe record mounds of seaweed

Nicolas Rivero

A giant blob of seaweed, spanning 5,000 miles and weighing an estimated 6.1 million tons, threatens to blanket Florida beaches and Caribbean islands with smelly piles of decaying brown goop.

Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab.

Record amount of seaweed is choking shores in the Caribbean

The Associated Press

A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases.

Lifeguard Maria Aponte walks to the shore with her rescue board at Fort Lauderdale beach on June 13, 2022.

There's a nationwide lifeguard shortage, and it's starting to hit South Florida

Shira Moolten | South Florida Sun Sentinel

A nationwide lifeguard shortage is acute in South Florida, where lifeguards work year-round, not just in summer. This year, beachside cities have failed to garner the kind of interest they once relied on, many with more vacancies on their hands than they can fill, their lifeguards working overtime.

An American Oystercatcher walks through the shoreline.

It’s nesting season on the Florida coast! Here’s what you should know to help protect the birds

Katie Fogarty

Shorebird eggs are often camouflaged in the sand, which is a form of predator protection. They can be easily missed and stepped on.

Horseshoe crabs mate in the surf zone during the spring and fall in Florida

Catch horseshoe crabs having some 'private time' on the beach? Fish and Wildlife says take notes

Tom Bayles

The Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch Program is a citizen-scientist initiative to collect data throughout the state.

High rip current warning issued in South Florida during spring break

David J. Neal

As spring break gets going this week, the National Weather Service has extended the risk warning for the waters off Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

To take care of our beaches, make sure to throw away all trash and to not leave any trace.

These environmentalists are teaching visitors how to use Florida's beaches properly

Katie Fogarty

Winter storms continue to blow furiously in the north and more snowbirds are flocking to warmer climates. While beaches in Florida are popular getaways for northerners, it’s important for all beachgoers to properly know how to use local beaches. Whether in ignorance or a blatant disregard for the rules, beach patrons may leave a significantly negative effect on the environment in Southwest Florida.

Horseshoe crab patrols that find and document the state's crab population are expanding into Miami-Dade County and looking for volunteers.

If it's high tide and a full moon, horseshoe crabs are looking for love

Jenny Staletovich

Florida's volunteer horseshoe crab patrols, which document and tag the crabs, are expanding into Miami-Dade County for the first time.

A Senate panel approved a bill that would allow local governments to restrict smoking at beaches and public parks, but puffing cigars and pipes would still be allowed.

Cigars and pipes will still be permitted at Florida’s beaches and parks

Sponsor Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said the change was made because “cigars and pipe smoking is such a small portion” of the problem.

People lined up to get a COVID-19 vaccine at Miami Dade College North Campus on March 6, 2021

Expanding COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility, Combating Litter On Beaches And A Veteran Journalist Retires

Andrea Perdomo

A look at how Miami-Dade county is preparing to distribute COVID-19 to the masses. Environmental advocates says beach litter is not a seasonal issue and celebrating the 44-year career of the South Florida Sun Sentinel's editorial page editor, who retires this week.

Miami-Dade County Will Close Beaches, Parks And More As Hurricane Isaias Nears

In preparation for Hurricane Isaias, which is forecast to pass South Florida as a Category 1, Miami-Dade County will be closing beaches, parks and more.On…

Radio

Beaches And Hotels Reopen Across South Florida. What You Need To Know.

Alexander Gonzalez

Updated Sunday, May 31: Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced Sunday that beaches in Miami-Dade County will remain closed while there is a…