South Florida's Coastal Environment: Habitats and Organisms

South Florida's Coastal Environment: Habitats and Organisms

Florida's coasts are extremely valuable, environmentally and recreationally. In south Florida, where urbanization continually threatens this ecosystem, educational outreach has to be a crucial part of conserving these coastal habitats. In collaboration with the University of Florida's Master Naturalist Program, Nova Southeastern University undergraduates have been given the opportunity to, not only learn about Florida's coastal systems and become certified master naturalists, but also encouraged to pass on the information we learn and educate the local community in Broward County about these areas. This project began as a way to teach the public about Florida's coastal environment, which is divided into three major habitats: marine, estuarine, and coastal uplands. For each habitat, fun facts will be presented to capture the interest of the public and make them aware of the various threats to these natural areas. The poster will also be presented to the public at an Earth Day event on NSU's main campus. The goal of this project is to attract attention to our local natural areas and promote environmental education by highlighting the unique and diverse assemblage of flora and fauna in our local coastal habitats. These coastal areas are some of the most productive in the world. By arming the local community with appropriate knowledge they can begin to experience the environment first hand, advocate for the protection and enhancement of this environment and the plants and animals that inhabit them.