beaches

Tons of sargassum — seaweed — is floating far out in the Atlantic Ocean. It could begin coming ashore in the spring.

Environmentalists remain perplexed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent veto of a wildly popular bipartisan bill to safeguard the state’s coastlines and protect the health of beachgoers because he believed it gave the Florida Department of Health too much power

The additional money pledged by the state comes as an impasse continues with the Army Corps of Engineers over allocating federal funds to replenish eroded beaches.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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