What's killing lagoon dolphins?

News reports suggest several Indian River Lagoon dolphins recently found dead may have died from bird flu. Alarming as that may be, the truth is that the bottlenose dolphins in the 156-mile long lagoon usually expire from a far more pedestrian cause: You and me.

That is, fishing gear is a primary cause. Dolphins sometimes starve to death because toxic algae blooms, caused by our pollution and runoff, have wiped out seagrass beds, chasing away the dolphins’ prey. 

This week we take a “Deep Dive” into the plight of dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon — and what we can do to help them.

Help us Rescue the River of Grass!

Want to save the Everglades, the northern estuaries and Florida Bay? Want to protect people and animals from harmful algal blooms and safeguard South Florida’s economy?

Then it’s time to Rescue the River of Grass.

This bold campaign seeks to address Florida’s critical water storage and treatment needs, to rehydrate the Everglades and Florida Bay and curtail discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries and Lake Worth Lagoon. Do your part by signing the petition and urging Florida to finish the job of restoration.

Tell the Army 

Corps to stop the discharges!

TAKE ACTION: Complete this letter 

to Col. Brandon Bowman with

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;

or email Bowman at [email protected]

Red tide worsens off SW Florida

You figured this was going to happen. Red tide tends to follow hurricanes; they aren’t CAUSED by the big storms but by churning up nutrient-laden waters and generating a ton of rainfall/runoff, they feed the blooms, which then grow. And thanks to two big storms last year, southwest Floridians are watching a bloom along the west coast stretching from Tampa to Key West. Health alerts are in effect for at least a dozen beaches in southwest Florida.

The red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in 75 samples this week, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which said the blooms have been intensifying.

And this could get worse before it gets better as temperatures rise.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to dump water from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and ultimately into the Gulf, which may be further feeding the blooms.

Let’s be clear: Discharges didn’t cause this crisis. But if there was ever a reason to curtail releases from the lake, it’s a red tide bloom lingering offshore.

Who's too cozy with Big Ag? All of them!

We’re watching the Ron DeSantis-Legislative feud with a truckload of popcorn.

The proximate cause of the recent nastiness is immigration legislation, the fact DeSantis called the Legislature up to Tallahassee on what was supposed to be a week off, the fact that many legislators think the lame-duck governor has asked too much for too long. The Legislature’s “TRUMP Act” would give immigration enforcement authority to state Agriculture Secretary Wilton Simpson; that REALLY seems to have rankled DeSantis, who’s gone after Simpson publicly and suggested the Legislature is too cozy with Big Agriculture.

Which it absolutely is, as our “Dirty Money Project” shows. Not only have Simpson and legislative leaders gotten millions from Big Ag, but DeSantis himself has gotten plenty of Ag money.

So who’s “too cozy” with the industry? How about all of the above? Check our blog post for a closer look.

P.S.: Floridians DON'T have the right to clean water; but you can change that

VoteWater supports the drive to get a right to clean water amendment on the 2026 Florida ballot, and you can too! Sign the petition, make a donation, volunteer your time and help Floridians secure a future with clean and safe water for all.