PreserVInG ParadIse

Four bald eagle nests hatch on the islands

Seven of the 10 bald eagle pairs that Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation staff and volunteers monitor on Sanibel and Captiva have settled on nest locations for the 2022-23 breeding season

The SCCF reported that four of the nests have hatched in recent weeks

The first chicks hatched on Jan 3, and they are expected to fledge by mid-March

“In most cases, we rely on our knowledge of the approximate incubation time and the birds’ behavior to determine when a nest has hatched,” shorebird biologist Audrey Albrecht said “Often, you can see adults feeding chicks long before you can actually see the chicks, especially when viewing from the ground.”

The SCCF reported that thanks to the homeowner and partner Window to Wildlife, one of the Captiva nests can be viewed live To view it, visit https://m youtube com/@WindowToWildlife/streams

“Much like the people of Sanibel and Captiva, our bald eagles are in varying stages of recovery Some immediately started rebuilding after Hurricane Ian and laid eggs right away, while others are still selecting their nest sites or are just finishing reconstructing efforts,” Albrecht said, adding that some may construct and maintain multiple nest structures, but they only lay eggs in one each year

One bald eagle that hangs out around the Dairy Queen on Periwinkle Way has selected a new mate, a promising sign after his previous mate was believed to be missing before Ian The new mate is younger than his prior one and still not bearing full adult plumage, though subadult bald eagles can be capable of breeding in their fourth year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

In Florida, the bald eagle nesting season runs from Oct. 15 through May 15

Monthly water sample results

T h e C a l u s a Waterkeeper recently r e l e a s e d i t a n d t h e Florida Department of Health's water sample results for fecal indicator bacteria for the month of January For more information and a n i n t e r a c t i v e m a p , visit https://calusawaterkeeper org/issues/b acteria-monitoring/

Leadership class helps clean up SCCF preser ve

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

Marine Lab Director Dr Eric Milbrandt, right, during a recent research cruise to study the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Second research cruise assesses impacts of storm

Last month, SanibelCaptiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab Director Dr Eric Milbrandt joined scientists from Florida Gulf Coast University for a second Florida Institute of Oceanography research cruise to study the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

S a m p l e s w e r e c o llected to study carbon and nutrient cycling and phytoplankton communities The research is intended to help understand how major hurricanes impact red tide blooms

“We are investigating a pattern over the past 20 years in which long and intense red tide blooms can occur after a major hurricane,” he said. “It happened after Hurricane Charley in 2004 and again after Hurricane Irma in 2017 ”

FIO invited the group to conduct the research on board the R/V Hogarth based in St Petersburg

O v e r a f i v e - d a y p e r i o d d u r i n g t h e s e c o n d r e s e a r c h c r u i s e , l o n g - t e r m m o n i t o r i n g s i t e s e s t a bl i s h e d b y t h e S C C F i n 2 0 1 8 w e r e v i s i t e d i n a g r i d p a t t e r n n e a r S a n i b e l a n d C a p t i v a I n a d d i t i o n , t h r e e t r a n s e c t s o f f s h o r e u p t o 8 0 m i l e s w e r e s a m p l e d a l o n g w i t h o t h e r s i t e s p r e v i o u s l y s a m p l e d b y F G C U r e s e a r c h e r s

The first cruise was weeks after the storm in midOctober, when satellite imagery showed dark water from the tidal passes mixing with the Gulf For sevens, scientists sampled about 50 offshore sites from St Petersburg to Naples to investigate the potential development of a red tide bloom due to Ian’s epic floodwaters

“Red tide blooms typically occur in Florida in the fall, and hurricanes are suspected to play a role in stimulating blooms,” Milbrandt said “The heavy rainfall and flooding cause land-based nutrients to flow outward to coastal waters and blooms feed off those nutrients.”