News & Commentary

Gulf Whale Artist Series: Florida Artist Blends Art with Education

November 13, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, FloridaLexi Nutkiewicz

Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Kelly Quinn is the Co-founder and Art Director of Canvas of the Wild (COTW) where she designs natural landscape murals for educational campaigns, creates illustrations for coloring and activity books, and develops scientific graphics for communicating research. Quinn…

Right Whale Moms and Calves at Risk from Fast Vessels

November 14, 2022 Expert BlogGeorgia, Florida, New Jersey, EastDr. Francine Kershaw

NOAA Defends Protections for One-of-a-Kind Oculina Corals

August 4, 2022 Expert BlogFloridaAnupa Asokan, Molly Masterton

NRDC Sues to Challenge Seismic Testing in the Gulf of Mexico

July 22, 2021 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaMichael Jasny

Among the animals at greatest risk from the impacts of seismic testing is the Gulf of Mexico whale—one of the most endangered marine mammals on the planet.

South Florida’s Dirty Secret Is Oil

March 18, 2021 Expert BlogFloridaAlison Kelly

As many city dwellers flee states with cold winters and expensive costs of living looking to quarantine in this paradise, there is a dirty little secret lurking in the Florida swamp—impending oil development.

Protecting the Wintering Home of Migratory Birds

February 4, 2021 Expert BlogTexasJessica Carey-Webb

The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America and home to the most biodiverse grasslands in the world, including 500 species of birds.

Why Florida Needs an Offshore Drilling Ban—One That’s Permanent

December 9, 2020 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

While the state can take solace in the recent moratorium extension, its waters are still at risk from the devastating impacts of seismic testing.

Life in the Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands

May 8, 2020 Expert BlogTexas, New MexicoJessica Carey-Webb

90 percent of the grassland bird species that breed on the Great Plains in the United States and Canada winter in the grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert, which encompasses the northwestern region of Mexico, spreading into the states of Arizona…

For a Rare Woodpecker in the Longleaf Pine Forest, It's a Hard-Knock Life

January 21, 2020 DispatchFlorida, EastRobynne Boyd

Conservationists have worked hard to help the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker recover, but say there’s still lots more to do. The government seems to disagree.

Damage from Florida Everglades Oil Hunt Persists

October 3, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, FloridaAlison Kelly

Showing Migrating Monarch Butterflies Some Southern Hospitality

August 26, 2019 DispatchMexico, Texas, HoustonRobynne Boyd

Non-native tropical milkweed fuels monarchs on their journey through southern states, but when cooler weather hits, the plant can bring parasites and starvation. Here’s what butterfly-loving southerners can do.

When Will the Endangered Florida Panther Catch a Break?

August 22, 2019 Expert BlogFloridaAlison Kelly

We must demand action by fighting any rollbacks of Florida Panther protections under the Endangered Species Act and oppose further development of its remaining habitat. The survival of this iconic cat depends on it.

The Fight to Keep Oil and Gas Rigs Out of Our Waters. For Good.

October 3, 2017 NRDC in ActionAlaska, Florida, California, Washington, United StatesMelissa Denchak

NRDC played a key role in banning offshore drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic. Once again, it’s fighting to protect those oceans—and the rest of America’s waters.

The Effort to Replant the “Amazon of the South”

September 25, 2017 DispatchGeorgia, Florida, AlabamaRobynne Boyd

These Southerners are bringing the longleaf pine forest back—with some love, seeds, fire, and snakes.

Oil Drilling and Wetlands Don’t Mix—Especially in Big Cypress

June 2, 2016 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

On a national preserve at the edge of the Everglades, oil exploration is threatening fragile habitat and endangered species, from woodpeckers to panthers.

Plight of the Panther

June 30, 2015 DispatchFloridaKim Tingley

What happens when preserving a species makes it unpopular?