Jessica Meszaros

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed multiple environmental bills into law. 

WUSF's Jessica Meszaros spoke to Jane West with the advocacy organization 1000 Friends of Florida about highlights from the legislative session:

Last summer, scientists with the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the University of South Florida started a project to find iron, copper, cobalt, cadmium, nickel, manganese, and zinc in the waters along Florida's west coast.

State wildlife officials say a Trichodesmium algal bloom has been lingering off the coast of Southwest Florida the past few weeks.

Protections for some wetlands and streams have been rolled back by the Environmental Protection Agency, under the Trump Administration. The affected areas are ephemeral streams, which only flow part of the year, and isolated wetlands, which are not directly connected to larger bodies of water.

The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to expand body camera footage to full-time use within the Sheriff's Office. 

Sheriff Chad Chronister said this will create "trust through transparency" within the community.

This weekend, thousands marched off of Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa protesting police brutality and racial injustice. We spoke with a black Tampa couple, Mike Eubanks and Sasha Glasper. They explain why they wanted to bring out their twin sons, Maxwell and Grayson, to the march.

WUSF is amplifying the voices in our community speaking out about racial justice.

It's now week three of nationwide demonstrations since the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

This weekend, we spoke with people marching in this weekend's Black Lives Matter protest along Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa.

Federal scientists are predicting that this summer’s “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico will be larger than average.

Duke Energy recently announced plans for three new solar power plants in Florida -- two of which are in the greater Tampa Bay region.

A group of young people from Florida had their lawsuit against the state over climate change dismissed by a circuit judge in Leon County on Monday, and the kids plan to appeal.

The community is rallying around the owners of a Tampa family restaurant that was destroyed Saturday when peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd grew violent.

A recent survey shows that coronavirus restrictions have cost the Pinellas County arts community nearly $5 million in lost revenue. Now there's a new questionnaire aimed to help.

For the first time in four years, “ultra-rare” metallic blue bees have been spotted in Central Florida.

Coronavirus is changing the way people grieve.

Some were already dealing with loss before the pandemic locked them up in their homes. Others are feeling powerless, as they desperately await updates about their loved ones in critical condition. There are also those having to plan memorial services in the midst of this health and economic crisis. There are multiple sides to grieving during a global pandemic. 

Two new studies are being funded to detail the impacts red tide algae blooms have on Florida’s economy. The research will look into tourism, the seafood industry, health care and construction.

From job loss, to balancing work from home to the isolation of following stay-at-home orders, coronavirus has changed our everyday lives. WUSF is giving you a voice to share those experiences.

We meet 16 year-old Nikole Amador.

From job loss, to balancing work from home to the isolation of following stay-at-home orders, coronavirus has changed our everyday lives. WUSF is giving you a voice to share those experiences. Today, we meet Manatee County business owner Ed Chiles. 

Until the coronavirus halted daily life, oyster growers in Florida had been selling every bivalve they could harvest. There’s been a demand for them, but this method of aquafarming is still unable to match what used to be a thriving wild-caught oyster industry about a decade ago.

Social distancing restrictions from coronavirus have actually led to a rare community effort: the tracking of an endangered species after a north Atlantic right whale mother and calf journeyed into the Gulf of Mexico.

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting Florida farmers differently, depending on which market to whom local growers are selling.

Homeless centers in Florida are having to turn people away people right now. Some who lost their jobs because of coronavirus are now also losing their chances for shelter.

Demand is already high as Raymond James Stadium in Tampa opened this morning for drive-thru coronavirus testing.