Summary

CORAL REEF RESEARCH

We care for animals on land and in water! Our team dove deep into the Florida Reef Resilience Program (FRRP) by surveying a portion of Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR) off Palm Beach County and documenting the number of corals affected by bleaching and disease. This is invaluable data for the interagency collaboration working together to protect the FCR.

PATH OF THE PANTHER

The Florida panther has a special place in all of our wild hearts, as it is a critical apex predator needed to keep Florida’s ecosystem healthy. Our carnivore team assisted in collecting data and maintaining the remote-camera traps as part of the “Path of the Panther” project led by renowned National Geographic® photographer and explorer Carlton Ward Jr. This fieldwork led to valuable legislation being passed to protect the wildlife corridor in Florida.

SAVING SWALLOW-TAILED KITES

The Zoo partnered with the Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) and Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to track Swallow-tailed kites, an “umbrella species;” their health indicates the overall health of the ecosystem. We equip the kites with tiny solar backpacks funded by our partner, Florida Power and Light Company (FPL). The information gathered from these raptors helps us protect their breeding grounds as they summer in South Florida and understand their migratory patterns on their treacherous winter journey to South America and back.

Associate Curator Nancy Nill collected data on coral.

Carnivore Supervisor Sherry Currens set up a field camera to track and report panther sightings.

ARCI Partner Gina Kent and Zoologist Callie Carpenter inside the blind prepared to outfit the kites with telemetry backpacks.