Florida had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, before the number dropped to 555 in 2023 and 565 in 2024, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data.

But more money has been allocated in this year's state budget for a program that pays farmers and ranchers in the Florida Wildlife Corridor not to develop their land.

The FDA's announced changes will offer utilities more flexibility to comply with regulations that could come at a cost to public and environmental health.

The stretch of coastline between Apalachicola and Cedar Key flares neon red on flood risk maps but goes dark on NOAA tide gauge maps. The 150-mile expanse between Apalachicola and Cedar Key has no instruments. Tampa Bay, for comparison, has four.

It's sea turtle nesting season, and everyone knows what that means — turn off your lights at night. Flipping your light switch is an easy way to feel like an environmental superstar, but what else can you do to support these little turtles?

Brevard and Lee are also in the top 10 for number of registered boats in Florida. Lee ranks third with 48,139 and Brevard is seventh with 35,001.

Suncoast Searchlight partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

After Peaches' tracker failed in 2023, he was found raising a family on the Yucatan Peninsula. Researchers said this might be evidence the birds migrate between Florida and Mexico.

A new study by USF researchers shows warmer, lighter fresh water flowing into the Gulf in the path of Idalia may have helped intensify it from Category 1 to 4 in one day.

The agreement to purchase the land came after public outcry over a proposed swap of part of the Withlacoochee State Forest for other parcels in north Florida.

In Citrus County, a beloved hippopotamus has died.

The lawsuit is targeting recent cuts in staff at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, where reports have surfaced of manatees being harassed.