First posted for the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment. Though they are beautiful creatures, Lionfish have become a major problem in Florida. They are recognized as an invasive species, covering many artificial and natural reefs throughout state and federal waters. First reported in 1985, they now decimate native fish species by consuming them or…
Author: Erika Zambello
Erika Zambello is a writer, birder, and photographer living and working along the Emerald Coast of Florida. She has a master’s degree in environmental management, where she specialized in ecosystem science and conservation. Her love of the outdoors was inspired by a childhood in Maine, where she returned for her National Geographic Young Explorer grant. In addition to Maine, she has lived in New York, France, Washington, DC, and North Carolina. Erika believes in the power of communicating conservation and exploration, which was the inspiration for One World, Two Feet.
Birding Maine – Fishing for Loons
When my boyfriend (now my husband) Brian and I first started dating, I made sure to bring him up to the Maine North Woods to see how he reacted to the area. Staying with in-laws is always a little nerve-wracking, so I couldn’t abandon him completely to my father while my mother and I went…
10000 Birds – The Return of Nesting Skimmers and Terns
They have returned! Last week I drove over the Navarre Beach Causeway, peering carefully to either side as I slowed to 20 mph. For the last few months the sloping sides of the bridge met the water with no birds dotting its sand other than a few pigeons or gulls. In one big wave the…