Columns
SW Florida Fishing: DNA ‘clock’ helps predict age of sharks
August 21, 2026
DNA signatures of aging could provide a new, noninvasive tool for studying shark populations and improving conservation efforts.
BY BROOKE BOWSER, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Aging leave…
Survey of sea turtles: Weekly wildlife roundup from BIPS
August 21, 2026
Editor’s Note: This is one of six weekly wildlife articles submitted by the Barrier Island Parks Society to raise awareness about the issues facing our island communities. This week, BIPS addresses…
No sunset for a friend; missing those Tuesdays you wish you’d noticed
August 21, 2026
BY ERNIE J. VANDERWALT
I got in the Gulf tonight shortly before sunset, the light doing that thing it does where the water turns the color of something you can’t quite name, gold sliding into ros…
Do we coddle young people? If so, it’s on us, not them
August 21, 2026
BY SUSAN HANAFEE
I remember telling my new boss that I definitely wasn’t the smartest person in the company—not by a long shot – but I would be one of the hardest-working. I think if you ask…
Barrier Island Parks: Help prevent plastic water pollution
August 13, 2026
Editor’s Note: This is one of six weekly wildlife articles submitted by the Barrier Island Parks Society to raise awareness about the issues facing our island communities. This week, plastic polluti…
Ask a Doc: Three questions men over 70 should ask
August 13, 2026
BY RAYMOND A.JAMES, D.O. BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC
One of the biggest mistakes men can make as they get older is assuming that a new symptom is simply part of aging. Some changes are expected, bu…
Flock and oversight: Trust is harder to build after the fact
August 13, 2026
BY BRENT MCCONNELL
In 2008, I was the U.S. national security lead for technology transfer to China. Long before the Beijing Olympics opened, many requests for advanced technology export licenses…
EcoWatch: Animals can not survive without their habitat
August 13, 2026
“If we human beings learn to see the intricacies that bind one part of a natural system to another and then to us, we will no longer argue about the importance of wilderness protection, or over the…
Protecting Charlotte Harbor sharks & large estuary
August 6, 2026
BY BARRIER ISLAND PARKS
Editor’s Note: This is one of six weekly wildlife articles submitted by the Barrier Island Parks Society to raise awareness about the issues facing our island communities…
EcoWatch: Florida manatee deserves protection of the ESA
August 6, 2026
“The manatee’s lament echoes in the deep, a cry for help from the ocean’s keep. Their home under threat, their numbers wane, yet they continue their peaceful reign. A plea for protection, a ca…









