The 2023 Environmental Review

According to the National Weather Service, Florida had one of the hottest summers to date in 2023, with the Gulf of Mexico experiencing a record-hot average water temperature taking a toll on marine life. The summer of 2023’s rainfall was lower than normal.

Late August brought Tropical Storm turned Hurricane Idalia, and though not as severe as Hurricane Ian in 2022 and missing Collier County, it still brought heavy rain, storm surge and flooding in sections of Marco.

On December 21, 2023 we wind up the year with a report of a Burmese Python successfully captured and removed from Hideaway Beach, and from the photo, it had to be more than 12 feet long. These are eating machines so make sure to keep your small pets inside!

The longest-ever recorded Burmese python was captured in the Big Cypress National Preserve on July 12, 2023, by local hunters. It measured 19 feet and 125 pounds.

Florida Panther’s deadly November 2023! According to FWC, November was the deadliest month for Florida Panthers, with five Panthers found dead, for a total of 13 for 2023. Vehicle collisions have been reported as the cause for every Florida panther’s death, with eight from Collier County.

Something unknown has been detected as causing the panther’s permanent impairment. According to FWC, this new disease called FLM – feline leukomyelopathy appears to be exclusively in Southwest Florida and they are increasing efforts to locate affected animals. It has also been found in bobcats.

Rodenticide also has been found in tissues of dead panthers and the EPA is “trying to mitigate the harm caused by the rodenticides by requiring bait to be placed inside tamper-resistant bait boxes. Theoretically, this would lessen the non-target animals such as the Panthers from eating the poison-laced bait.” Rodenticide is still yet another hurdle for Florida Panthers to overcome.

Burrowing Owls – Marco Island has the second largest population of Burrowing Owls in Florida, and according to Owl Watch, Marco’s 2023 end-of-nesting season stats recorded 261 active sites. From January 2023 to December 10th, vehicular strikes caused the death of 32 owls, according to the Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE). Just as deadly is the use of rodenticide poisoning, with an astounding 26 owls testing positive (out of 32 samples tested). 

The Starter Burrow Program has 110 participants and according to AWE, is the key to keeping a successful owl population in Marco Island.

Gopher Tortoises – AWE has completed 278 surveys with a current total of 2,838 potentially occupied burrows and 471 abandoned burrows, equating to an estimate of around 1,419 Gopher Tortoises in Marco Island. 2023 was a deadly year for gopher tortoises, recording 32 vehicular strikes with the latest reported on 12/10/2023.

Manatee update - According to FWC, over 300 manatees died during the first half of 2023. FWC also reported most of them were red tide-related. Other causes of death are starvation and watercraft fatality. Total 2023 deaths: 518 and according to Marine Life at Zoo Tampa – “this is a human-made issue.”

Sea turtle 2023 - Preliminary numbers from Collier County show 127 nests with hatchling disorientation running at 60% for the 2023 nesting season – another record high for Marco with 429 false crawls; MIPD issued 94 sea-turtle lighting-related violations with 14 being brought before the Code Magistrate.

What do Florida Panthers, burrowing owls, gopher tortoises, manatees and sea turtles have in common? They are all symbols of old and wild Florida and we all share the land and waterways with them. Their biggest threats are all human-made and preventable. 

Let’s all make 2024 a more Wildlife Friendly for Florida’s protected species.