10 Reasons to be Thankful in Florida

More than 120 million people visit Florida each year for its miles of coastline, crystal clear springs, and of course, its theme parks. But as someone who lives here, it can be easy to get stuck doom-scrolling about the threats to our state’s natural resources. 

This holiday season, we're reflecting on all the wonders that make the Sunshine State a unique paradise worth preserving. 

 Here are a few things at the top of our list. 

Florida is part of the  North American Coastal Plains biodiversity hotspot , the 36th such hotspot recognized in the world. 

Within this hotspot, which covers the low-lying land from Texas to New England,  Florida is one of the most biologically diverse states . Florida’s  diversity has been attributed to its climate stability , which pollen fossil records show has persisted for much of the last 62,000 years. The Sunshine State is home to at least 4,368 animal species and 3,038 plant species. It also ranks within the top five U.S. states for the most endemic species, with 269 plants and animals found only in Florida and nowhere else in the world! Some iconic examples of Florida’s endemic species include the Florida bonneted bat, the Florida scrub jay, and the Florida mouse. 

Florida also has the  greatest diversity of plant families  of all U.S. states and is home to more than  80 distinct ecosystems  that support the state’s great diversity of land, freshwater, and marine organisms. 

Though Florida’s biodiversity is under threat, the hotspot designation helps highlight the urgency of conserving the state's wildlife, and hopefully will lead to funding and regulation aimed at preserving these amazing natural wonders. 

Florida may have the lowest elevation of anywhere in the country, but the state’s geologic history is anything but flat! For a long time, Florida’s landmass was below a warm, shallow ocean. Although it was underwater during the time of the dinosaurs, fossils of both land and sea animals can be found in our state due to the sea level rising and falling many times over millions of years.  

Shark teeth are some of the most common fossils found in the state, especially in creek beds and beaches. Even though finding megalodon teeth is rare, you can find teeth of small species such as nurse and angel sharks, as well as other species like stingrays and guitarfish. In fact, shark teeth are the only vertebrate fossil you can collect in Florida without a permit! Just do your research on  regulations  before you begin your fossil hunt.

The last period before our current geologic time is the Pleistocene (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), sometimes called The Great Ice Age. Florida has some of the best mammal fossils from this time period in the world, including elephant-like mastodons, dire wolves, giant lions, saber-toothed cats, giant beavers, and giant ground sloths.  

Even though Florida is relatively young geologically-speaking, the state has a rich geologic history going back millions of years. As we face sea level rise, increased global temperatures, and increased extreme weather events from human-caused climate change, understanding how Florida has responded to such conditions in the past is the key to understanding our future.  

Just like humans, many animals like whales, birds, turtles and insects migrate to Florida during certain times of the year! Every winter, North Atlantic right whales return to the coast of north Florida and south Georgia from their feeding grounds in northeast Canada and New England. This is the only place they are known to give birth to their young! Monarch butterflies stop at spots like Amelia Island State Park and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on their migration south to Mexico. During the late spring and early summer, several species of sea turtles migrate to Florida shores to lay their eggs, including the loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtles.  

Florida is also along the  Atlantic Flyway , which is a migratory pathway from the arctic tundra in Greenland to the tropical areas of South America and the Caribbean. Hundreds of species of migratory birds travel along the Flyway to find food sources or reach breeding grounds. Florida’s  mild climate and diverse habitats attract many of these migratory species,  making it a birdwatching paradise. 

While in Florida year-round, perhaps the most famous winter traveler is the Florida manatee, which seeks the warmth of the springs during cold winter months. Because the  water temperature is consistently 72 degrees all year , more than 400 manatees migrate to Crystal River during the winter months to escape the cold water in the Gulf of Mexico. Serving as indicator species, manatees are important to the health of Florida's waterways and  alert us to greater changes in aquatic ecosystems  that require human conservation attention. 

Florida has amazing beaches and wetlands featuring rolling white sand dunes, serene marsh grasses and sturdy mangroves along its entire coastline. These habitats support a variety of plants and wildlife, attract visitors from around the world, and come especially in handy during our lengthy hurricane season.   

This is because these natural features of Florida’s coastline protect coastal communities from sea level rise, storms, and beach erosion, serving as barriers between the wild ocean currents and the shore. Oyster reefs and salt marshes around the Florida coast have spent thousands of years adapting and developing  resilience  to hurricane weather conditions In fact, research shows that natural shorelines are more effective at preventing storm damage than a hardened shoreline, like a seawall.  

Protecting these beautiful landscapes preserves the existence of Florida itself. The ecosystem services provided by these natural areas are truly something to be thankful for.  

Stretching from Martin County on Florida’s Atlantic coast to the Florida Keys,  the Florida Reef Tract is nearly 360 miles long . About two-thirds of this reef is protected within Biscayne National Park and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 

Florida’s coral reefs  provide numerous benefits to the state and its visitors . The reefs act as nurseries, providing proper habitat for fish and other species to safely grow, including economically important fish we catch and consume. Coral reefs are also scientifically important, with many advances in science and medicine stemming from creatures that live in coral reefs. Snorkeling and diving are popular tourism activities associated with reefs, and healthy reefs help protect the Florida coastline from erosion and flooding. In fact, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates that Florida’s reefs provide $355 million in flood protection along Florida’s coasts each year. 

Like many of Florida’s precious habitats, the Florida Reef Tract faces many threats.  Warming oceans, ocean acidification, pollution, and stony coral tissue loss disease  are all impacting Florida’s corals. Some ways you can help Florida’s reefs include using reef-safe sun protection, practicing responsible diving habits, and conserving your water use at home. 

Around 1,000 springs have been found in Florida, representing what geologists say is the largest concentration of freshwater springs in the world. These aquifer outflows are the window to the Floridan Aquifer, which provides drinking water to 90% of Floridians.  

With their crystal clear waters and crisp 72-degrees F year-round temperatures, Florida’s freshwater springs provide significant recreational and cultural value to Florida’s communities.  

The stable temperature in the springs throughout the year allows native plants such as bald cypress trees, eel grass, and a wide variety of rare orchids and lilies to grow and thrive. Animals such as alligators and otters live in and around Florida’s springs as well as dozens of fish species like longnose gar, bluegill sunfish, and striped mullet. 

We owe our high concentration of springs to the  geology of Florida , which is underlaid by limestone and dolomite formations called karst terrain. As slightly acidic rainwater moves through these formations, it dissolves the rock. The resulting cracks, holes, and dents eventually become underground fissures, conduits, and caves that store groundwater. The  Floridan Aquifer is composed of these fissures, conduits, and caves . It is approximately 100,000 square miles and underlies all of Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. 

Threats facing Florida’s springs include increased groundwater withdrawal, chemical and nutrient pollution from stormwater runoff and agriculture, increased human traffic, and invasive species.  

With collaboration from scientists, government agencies, conservation nonprofits, and communities, future generations will be able to enjoy all the benefits of the crisp, cool water that is Florida’s lifeblood.  

People  first arrived in Florida more than 12,000 years ago . More than a dozen Native American Tribes have called Florida home, and while each has its own cultures and customs, the one thing they all have  relied on is the state’s abundant water resources.  

Many Indigenous tribes, like the Calusa, Timucua and Tequesta,  relied on the state’s vast wetlands for fishing and foraging . Leftover clam and oyster shells were used to construct their built environment. Evidence of these structures can be seen today in what we call shell mounds, or middens. While their exact purposes are unknown, archaeologists believe they were used to “divide gathering places from sacred spaces and provide barriers from mosquitoes or ocean tides,” according to the Everglades National Park website.

Turtle Mound, on Florida’s east coast, is the tallest mound in the United States and perhaps all of North America. It was built by the Timucua, and archaeologists believe they used the high vantage point to  keep watch of the waterways . But Turtle Mound is one of just  hundreds of Indigenous cultural sites  along Florida’s coast that are threatened by rising seas. In fact, some mounds in Florida are eroding faster than archaeologists can document them. Experts say continued efforts to preserve this important Florida history will rely on proper funding, legislation, and partnerships with Native American Tribes. 

Though Florida’s Indigenous peoples once thrived throughout the state, the arrival of Europeans brought warfare, disease, capture, forced migration, and more – all of which changed the Indigenous way of life and decimated their population. Today, two federally recognized tribes remain in Florida, and around 3,000 people live on the Seminole and Miccosukee reservations in South Florida. Those wanting to learn more about Seminole and Miccosukee culture and history can visit the  Ah-Tah-Ti-Ki Museum  on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, which houses more than 180,000 artifacts. 

The Everglades is the only place to combine a subtropical climate with numerous types of distinct habitats in an extraordinarily biodiverse ecosystem. These  distinct habitats that make up the Everglades  are sawgrass marshes, open-water sloughs, cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks, mangrove swamps, and pinelands. Even though  only 50% of the Everglades remain today , Everglades National Park still covers 1.5 million acres and is home to the largest continuous sawgrass prairie in North America and the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere. The park is also  home to 13 endangered and 10 threatened species  and, in addition to being the only place in the United States where there are crocodiles, it is the only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators live together. 

Twenty years before the park existed, people like Ernest F. Coe and Marjory Stoneman Douglas fought for the conservation of the Everglades. Coe was responsible for creating the Everglades National Park Association in hopes of persuading the federal government to turn the wetlands into a national park. Douglas is most well-known for writing the book The Everglades: River of Grass, which brought the world’s attention to the area, showcasing its value. The land was established as a national park in 1947, the same year her book was published. 

Even though Coe and Douglas fought for the conservation of the Everglades less than a century ago, there is still more being done to preserve and protect this unique region. Currently, there is an effort to restore the Everglades called the  Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) . This $10.5 billion plan is referred to as the “world’s largest ecosystem restoration effort” and will take 35+ years to complete. The plan was authorized in 2000, and since then restoration efforts have been made through all levels of government.

Florida has one of the most active prescribed fire programs in the country. The Florida Forest Service issues approximately  88,000 burn authorizations  a year, covering over 2.1 million acres of Florida land. 

Prescribed fires are carefully authorized management strategies that are useful for both public and private lands. Historically, Florida’s forested ecosystems were dependent on frequent, low-intensity fires caused by lightning. These fires limited the spread of plant pathogens, recycled dead plant material into usable soil nutrients, and created space for a large diversity of flora and fauna to populate. Many unique and endangered species of  native Floridian flora and fauna are even dependent on fire,  including the longleaf pine, wiregrass species, gopher tortoise, red cockaded woodpecker, and Florida scrub jay. 

Prescribed fire has been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years to promote these natural management benefits. Today, burn bosses who prescribe these burns attempt to replicate historic fires in frequency and intensity. Responsible burning from Florida’s Forest Service prevents plant matter from building up in forests, therefore reducing risks of extreme, uncontrolled wildfires. Florida’s active fire management plans can even  serve as a model  for safe burning in states like California, promoting ecosystem management and protecting human life from wildfires. 

It’s easy to enjoy nature at a Florida State Park, with  175 parks statewide  spanning almost 800,000 acres and 100 miles of beach. The parks are open year-round and offer recreational outdoor activities for all ages – from swimming and diving in Florida’s rivers and springs to hiking, biking, and camping on scenic trails. 

Each park is home to abundant wildlife and diverse ecosystems, as well as  cultural sites that preserve the history  of various peoples. There are also  guided tours through the karst geology and cave systems  of our state at Florida Caverns State Park. Florida’s state parks are a staple of the state and are preserved by the Florida Park Service for people to enjoy for generations to come. 

This story was produced by  Kamya Bates ,  Lexi Bolger ,  Patricia Escobar Torres ,  Augustus Hoff ,  Genna Nordling ,  Elise Plunk ,  Aadil Rahman , and  Isabel Yianilos , student  environmental communicators  with the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI). TESI's mission is to advance communication and education about Earth systems science in a way that inspires Floridians to be effective stewards of our planet. 

This story is part of TESI's student-produced  Earth to Florida  newsletter that curates the state’s environmental news and explains what’s going on, why it matters and what we can do about it.