, Fla. —
This week marks the sixth annual Florida Climate Week, a statewide event where scientists, climatologists, and environmental groups come together to educate the public about Florida’s climate and environmental challenges.
“They all come together to talk about what are the localized threats, the environmental issues that they’re dealing with,” said Shannon Maganiezin, director of external relations at the Volo Foundation.
Florida’s climate plays a significant role in life across the Sunshine State, and the Volo Foundation focuses on education and a sustainable future.
“We can definitely see localized environmental threats that are affecting us from our economy, our insurance costs, our rising energy costs,” Maganiezin said.
The event also highlights the importance of Florida’s waters, with local groups like the Angari Foundation actively involved in ocean research.
“We take scientists out to do research expeditions and study the ocean in Florida,” said Angela Rosenberg, president of the Angari Foundation and captain of the research vessel Angari.
Scientists aboard the Angari research vessel shared their work during the event.
“So we are showcasing all the different work that we are doing here locally in Palm Beach County. That includes tours of our oceanographic research vessel, that includes citizen scientists participating in our lagoon drift debris marine project, also learning what it’s like to work up a shark,” Rosenberg said.
The Loggerhead Marine Center also participated, hosting lectures on how climate change impacts sea turtles and the insights they provide about changing ecosystems.
“Sea turtles go all across the ocean in areas we never go, so if we can learn about their health and the threats that they’re experiencing, it can tell us a lot about our climate and oceans and other ecosystems,” said Dr. Katie Fowler, research scientist at Loggerhead Marine Center.
Fowler’s lecture focused on how rising temperatures affect sea turtle nests and their development.
“I was focusing on how climate impacts, particularly temperature, how it impacts the nest very early in its life. How do those impacts cascade through a sea turtle’s life? A big part of that is whether they even develop correctly and survive. And if they become a male or female and how that might impact our populations in the long run,” Fowler said.
Florida Climate Week serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting and nurturing the state’s unique ecosystems.
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