The Deep Dive Blog

Artist Geoffrey C. Smith is a sculptor, painter, and photographer who grew up in northern California surrounded by the art of nature. He fished for salmon in the Pacific Ocean, hunted ducks in San Pablo Bay, and constantly kept an eye peeled for the wildlife surrounding him. He also learned the nature

By: Kyle Grammatica Chris Cooley’s job is for the birds, literally! As the Director of Environmental Affairs for Port Tampa Bay, Cooley works to ensure the port and its tenants do not harm the Bay’s ecosystem, with a special focus on protecting migratory birds and their nesting habitat. With Cooley’s

By: Kyle Grammatica A recent study by the University of Florida examined how Florida’s crocodiles have responded to changes in the Everglades ecosystem over the last 40 years. American crocodiles, and their relatives, American alligators, are keystone species that reflect the health of the entire ecosystem. “Crocodiles may look burly

By: Kyle Grammatica Thanks to research from Florida State University, we now know more about how sharks navigate our oceans. Biologists exposed bonnethead sharks to magnetic conditions that simulated locations hundreds of miles south from where they were caught. The sharks responded to these conditions by swimming north in an

By: Kyle Grammatica Youth from Columbia County, Florida are getting involved in wildlife conservation thanks to a $4,500 grant from the Foundation. To foster the exploration of Florida’s wetlands, the grant helped establish a Suwannee River Ducks Unlimited Youth Chapter and a wood duck breeding program. As part of the

By: Kyle Grammatica A team of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) researchers have been investigating the reef communities found on hard-bottom ledges in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to a grant from the Foundation. These ledges were once the ancient limestone shorelines of Florida. Now, they are vertical

By: Kyle Grammatica We are thrilled to share our redesigned Conserve Wildlife license plate with you! The plate, affectionately called the “bear plate,” has generated over $9,500,000 for conservation since 2000. With the new design, we hope to fund even more innovative projects! Defenders of Wildlife was instrumental in the

By: Kyle Grammatica Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers, and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties. As Florida’s population has grown, so has the desire for waterfront homes and water-related activities. All result in more frequent interactions between humans and alligators, and increase the

By: Kyle Grammatica Grab some water, sunscreen, and your smartphone, and get ready for a one-of-a-kind scavenger hunt around Florida! From May 1st to May 9th, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting Florida WildQuest, a unique scavenger hunt for all ages at Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)