Here comes the sea,
faster than we thought
By Patricia Behnke
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
MyFWC.com
My love affair with water began
when I walked on my first Florida
beach at Bahia Honda State Park in
1975. I stood in the shallow water
at the park, small waves lapping at
my ankles, and watched the most
spectacular sunset of my life. The
next day I snorkeled in those same
waters and met the beautiful fish
that make Florida famous.
My first trip through the Ever-
glades brought me a deeper appreci-
ation of water and Florida’s wildlife,
from the alligators sunning them-
selves on the edge of canals to
the white ibis poking for bugs
in the muck.
And now, that could all
become something known only
from the writers and artists
and photographers who will
leave the records of a once-
upon time. I’ve heard it over
and over again in talking to
the people who study such things:
Florida is one of the most vulner-
able states when it comes to climate
change. Mostly they mean we are
vulnerable to “sea level rise.”
Here’s my simple view of what’s
happening and will continue to hap-
pen: when water heats, it expands,
and the water temperatures are
rising. Adding to the vulnerability
of Florida is its very shape, sur-
rounded on three sides by the water
that has reached a figurative boiling
point.
And that’s one way climate
change causes sea level rise; of
course, there is the melting polar ice
that will contribute as well. Most of
us envision that happening some-
time in the nebulous future, but the
news that came out of a conference
held in Florida in January tells us
otherwise. and other plants found only in that
“Since 1930, the sea has risen 10
inches in Florida,” said Reed Noss, a
biology professor from the Universi-
ty of Central Florida and organizer
of the event. “And 80 percent of
southeastern Florida’s flood-control
structures are failing because of sea
level rise, according to the South
Florida Water Management Dis-
trict.”
Harold Wanless of the University
of Miami suggested to the partici-
pants that “a rise of four or five feet
by the year 2100 is more likely, with
higher levels possible,” according to
a press release from UCF.
The conference, sponsored by the
Florida Institute for Conservation
Science, marked Florida’s first inter-
disciplinary meeting on the impacts
“Imagine the last wild panther captured,
with zoos the only remaining refuge for
the homeless cats.”
–Dr. Thomas Eason rect impacts from how people
of sea level rise. The event brought
together geologists, oceanographers,
ecologists, biologists, anthropolo-
gists, archaeologists, engineers and
planners.
“It is crucial to bring these ex-
perts together because they all hold
a piece of the puzzle,” Noss said.
“Florida stands to lose more eco-
nomically and biologically than any
other state in the country; yet it has my next car. Using less energy and
done the least to prepare than any
other coastal state.”
A report released in December in
Nature warns about the speed of the
Earth’s shifting climatic zones. This affair with Florida and its natural
impacts wildlife because the ecosys-
tems where they live are changing,
forcing wildlife to change their hab-
its now. Shrinkage of habitat in the
Keys already is having an impact
on the endangered Florida key deer
part of the world, according to Noss.
Wildlife and habitat managers
may have to rethink where they put
their efforts sooner than thought.
Why spend millions of dollars on
habitat that might not be here in
100 years? Money and resources
might be better spent elsewhere.
That’s why it’s crucial that land
planners at all levels of government
start now to plan for what appears
to be an uncertain future.
Dr. Thomas Eason with the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva-
tion Commission presented infor-
mation at the conference on what
wildlife managers must consider as
climate changes and human popula-
tions shift and grow. Eason warned
that sea level rise will put increased
pressure on public lands to be
used for human needs.
“This means wildlife will
not only face direct impacts
from sea level rise, but they also
will have to contend with indi-
respond as well,” Eason said.
“Imagine the last wild panther
captured, with zoos the only
remaining refuge for the homeless
cats.”
So what do we do? We let the
managers manage and the scien-
tists research and monitor. Individ-
ually, we become careful stewards
of the environment through our ac-
tions to slow down the process. For
me, this means buying an alterna-
tive-fuel vehicle when I purchase
becoming less dependent upon
foreign oil sources is good for our
economy, our air and our wildlife.
Then we all can continue our love
resources for a little while longer.
Contact Patricia Behnke at
pat.behnke@MyFWC.com