Tag: Key Largo

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Something a Wee Bit Different at Marine Lab

It’s too hot to be out on the trail, but it’s almost never too hot to be on the water, and I was recently fortunate enough to attend a week-long class at Marine Lab Key Largo. The class, Coastal Marine Ecology, was marketed to teachers. Since I consider myself an informal educator, I signed up way back in February. Focusing on the basics of the marine ecology of the Upper Keys, the class was an in-depth exploration of the interaction among seagrass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs.

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A Naturalist’s Trip From Jewfish Creek to Big Pine Key

Crossing Jewfish Creek marks the official transition from Mainland Florida to the Florida Keys. It lies at the end of the infamous 18-Mile Stretch, the part of US 1 where perfectly nice people lose their minds and drive as if they are the only person on the planet who wants to get to the Keys (or needs to get home from the Keys). Since Henry Flagler completed the Overseas Highway in 1910, we’ve all been trying to be in the same place at the same time on that road! At any rate, we almost always open the windows as we cross the Jewfish Creek bridge so we can get a breath of fresh Keys air. I recently learned that the distinctive shade of blue used for the median barriers is called Belize Blue.

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