Florida
Bringing marine life back to South Florida’s ‘forgotten edge’
An experiment in nature-inspired design is underway in a South Florida residential canal. Two mangrove planters are being installed on a new seawall to provide habitat for marine wildlife.
Nathan Rott/NPR
hide caption
toggle caption
Nathan Rott/NPR
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — At the back edge of a backyard, in a dead-end South Florida canal, Arthur Tiedeman is drilling holes into the face of a seawall his marine construction company recently installed.
The seawall is a newer design of reinforced concrete encased in vinyl. It’s a smooth, hardened ledge at the intersection of land and sea that’s designed to protect property and make the coastline more habitable for people.
The problem, Tiedeman says, is that it makes the coastline not very habitable to anything else. “It’s not a natural shoreline like mangroves and sand,” he says. “It’s just a straight giant wall.”
That’s why he and his crew are on a bobbing barge outfitted with a crane, installing two first-of-their-kind planters that, when hung, will house two living mangrove trees on the otherwise featureless wall.
The planters are pockmarked and rough-cut; etched and grooved to mimic oyster reefs and mangrove roots. They’re a wildlife-focused add-on — one of the latest products in a fast-growing commercial market that’s selling homeowners and municipalities on a more holistic approach to marine infrastructure.
“Even these tiny little pores you get, those are little pockets that tiny organisms will start to take up residence in,” says Keith Van de Riet, the designer of the new planters.
Nathan Rott/NPR
hide caption
toggle caption
Nathan Rott/NPR
“We’re in a time period — a golden era — where humanity has kind of realized what we’ve done here,” Tiedeman says, gesturing up the dredged canal. With the erasure of so much natural habitat, pollution, overfishing and climate change, populations of popular fish like grouper and snapper are declining. Water quality in many canals and bays is worsening.
There’s a growing recognition that municipalities and property owners need to “improve the shoreline and build infrastructure with the environment in mind,” Tiedeman says.
“That’s what makes all these properties worth what they’re worth,” he says, referencing the mansions lining the canal. “The water. And the enjoyment of the water.”
A “forgotten edge”
The new mangrove planters were designed by Keith Van de Riet, a professor at the University of Kansas, who’s helping with their installation.
An architect by training and an avid angler, Van de Riet has long been interested in finding ways to improve the design of coastal infrastructure so that it benefits more than just people. For more than a decade, his primary focus has been on seawalls, what he calls “a forgotten edge.”
“I’ve always wanted to be near water,” says Keith Van de Riet. “And the idea of creating things that are beneficial for people and other species — I find that appealing.”
Nathan Rott/NPR
hide caption
toggle caption
Nathan Rott/NPR
And the reason, he says, is simple: In many places it’s the only shoreline left. “This all would have been meandering mangroves, maybe a mangrove creek here that [people] just blew out,” he says.
By dredging the waterway and barricading its edges, people have taken that soggy horizontal plane — a life-rich intertidal zone that supports oysters, crabs, fish and birds — and collapsed it, he says, “into a vertical wall with a single dimension to it.”
Marine organisms don’t like homogeneity. They like nooks and crannies — places to hide.
“The more texture the better,” Van de Riet says.
For water-filtering oysters, a keystone species in marine habitats, concrete seawalls — the standard in South Florida for more than a century — can provide some of that texture. Van de Riet points to clusters growing on a concrete ledge just below the scumline, just one property down from where his planters are being installed.
It’s a sliver of habitat compared to what they’d have in a natural environment, he says, but a critical one. And it’s now at risk of shrinking further, as many of South Florida’s concrete seawalls, built in the post-World War II boom, are hitting the end of their lifetime — what Tiedeman calls the “seawall pandemic.” Those seawalls, it turns out, are increasingly being replaced with steel or vinyl — smooth, featureless products that offer no welcoming texture for living things.
Arthur Tiedeman measures the distance between scumline and the seawall’s top to determine where to put the planters.
Nathan Rott/NPR
hide caption
toggle caption
Nathan Rott/NPR
“We’re taking that last 1% [of habitat] that they’re clinging to and changing the material,” Van de Riet says, “pulling the rug out from under these oysters.”
His hope is that his mangrove planters will help sustain populations of those oysters through the transition.
Mimicking nature
Globally, there’s a lot of innovation happening and new products like Van de Riet’s becoming available, says Rachel Gittman, a coastal ecologist at East Carolina University.
Property owners can now buy artificial reef balls or request vertical oyster gardens. Miami Beach recently installed its first “living seawall,” a wide mangrove root-etched panel, designed to provide habitat and protect against storm surge. In southwest Florida, a similar-style wall panel, created by Van de Riet, has been in the water since 2016.
“There’s a push towards: Can we mimic nature — and can we reproduce it in a way that’s going to support biodiversity or productive fisheries or erosion protection?” Gittman says.
She’s not convinced all of the new products will work. It’s hard to emulate nature.
“But in places where the habitat has already been lost or someone’s just going to put in a regular seawall, I think it’s a better option,” she says. “Even a small little oyster reef can support a lot of organisms.”
The real challenge will be creating enough of them. A study published in 2021 found that only about 15% of the world’s coastal regions remain ecologically intact. Restoring those coastlines, Gittman says, will require significant policy changes from national and local governments.
She adds that in places like South Florida, where coastal infrastructure is being updated to accommodate rising seas and the vast majority of coastline is privately owned, it will take buy-in from homeowners as well.
“We are in this critical period where we could make huge leaps in terms of how our infrastructure is designed in this country if we make thoughtful investments and we don’t just build exactly what we had 50 years ago,” she says. “I hope that’s not what we do. But we don’t always learn from our mistakes.”
When it comes to improving the built environment, Keith Van de Riet says, “We have to look at these hybrid models.” Incorporating parts of nature — like mangrove trees — into infrastructure.
Arthur Tiedeman/APH Marine Construction
hide caption
toggle caption
Arthur Tiedeman/APH Marine Construction
Heading into Sunday afternoon, everything was set up for Florida on a silver platter to not only advance out of Regionals, but to also waltz straight to Omaha. The Gators had their pitching staff in good shape, the bats were hot, and it looked like all the early-season woes would become a footnote in history.
Fast forward a little over 24 hours, and Florida’s season is done after a collapse by its pitching staff, combined with a couple of questionable decisions by Kevin O’Sullivan, along with Florida hitters who just couldn’t solve Troy on Monday night.
Florida loses to Troy and has its season end
O’Sullivan opted to start Cooper Walls, who began the year as the Sunday starter but quickly lost that job and was relegated to jumping back and forth between starting in the midweek and coming out of the bullpen.
It didn’t go well for Walls as he was immediately tagged for two runs in the first inning and pulled for Caden McDonald in the second.
But McDonald settled things down and gave Florida more than a fair shot to take control of the game. And while the Gators had some decent swings here and there, it was clear that they couldn’t catch up to the fastball with any consistency.
Mind you, it was a fastball from Troy that was hovering around 90 MPH, not some 97 MPH flamethrower or frankly someone throwing random junk Florida couldn’t figure out. And the problem for Florida is that even when it did something right, it combined it with something wrong. Kyle Jones hit a RBI single to pull things to 2-1, but got thrown out at second base in the process.
Then came the decision from O’Sullivan in the sixth inning that ultimately sent the game south. McDonald was cruising and was nearing 50 pitches for his outing. Given he had also thrown 26 pitches against Rider on Friday, one could argue O’Sullivan was trying to protect his arm.
So out came Russell Sandefer, who was the starter against Rider. He promptly walked three straight batters.
And in the decision that ultimately swung the game, O’Sullivan went with Ernesto Lugo-Canchola out of the bullpen with bases loaded and no outs. This was after Lugo-Canchola gave up two runs last night against Troy. Five runs later, three of which were charged to Sandefer, it was 7-1, and that was that.
Wasted opportunity for Florida
It’s the first time in program history that Florida started a Regional 2-0 and didn’t make it out to Super Regionals. And what ultimately ended Florida’s season was the inability of anyone on Florida’s staff not named McDonald or Jackson Barberi to get through their outing clean this weekend.
Liam Peterson was shelled on Sunday.
Walls and Lugo-Canchola were hand-picked from the transfer portal ahead of this season and were shelled on Monday night.
The reality is that O’Sullivan pushed all the wrong buttons on Monday. He went to Sandefer hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, and it didn’t work. He went to Lugo-Canchola even after he got tagged last night, while Joshua Whritenour was “saved” for later. In addition, guys like Ricky Reeth and Luke McNeillie were sitting right there after not pitching on Sunday.
And again, whatever approach Florida’s hitters had on Monday was also an issue, as they couldn’t catch up to a 90 MPH fastball. For good measure, all the defensive woes that plagued Florida to start the season also came flooding back.
Florida ends its season 41-21.
Follow
A 64-year-old man accused of trying to kidnap a 74-year-old woman with whom he’d had a romantic relationship was arrested May 31, according to Port St. Lucie Police on June 1.
Jose Tsu Zamora was jailed on charges of attempted kidnapping while armed with a firearm; battery on a person 65 years of age or older; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; aggravated stalking (violation of injunction); and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police stated.
Zamora, a resident of North Miami, was apprehended May 31 by police and U.S. Marshals in Hialeah.
The case began about 10:49 a.m. May 31 as police investigated an incident at First United Methodist Church on Southwest Prima Vista Boulevard.
“The investigation revealed that Zamora, who previously had a romantic relationship with the victim, approached her in the church parking lot despite an active injunction prohibiting contact,” police stated. “According to the investigation, Zamora … attempted to force the victim into a vehicle against her will while armed with a handgun.”
Two good Samaritans confronted Zamora, telling him to let go of the woman, police stated.
During the confrontation, police stated, Zamora is accused of “displaying a firearm before retreating to his vehicle and fleeing the scene.”
Video surveillance depicted Zamora pursuing the 74-year-old woman in the parking lot, restraining her and trying to “force her toward a vehicle.”
Zamora ultimately was taken into custody in Hialeah.
He is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail on $745,000 bond, according to police.
Zamora was arrested in March in St. Lucie County on charges of possession of a firearm or ammunition by convicted felon and tampering with evidence, though the latter charge ultimately was dropped, according to St. Lucie County Clerk’s records. The case is continuing through the court system, records show.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
TAMPA, Fla – Tampa homeowners could soon see lower property tax bills under a new proposal that aims to significantly increase the state’s homestead exemption.
Proposed homestead exemption expansion
What we know:
A new state proposal aims to significantly lower property tax bills for homeowners by expanding the current homestead exemption. Tampa homeowner Jeff James noted that current property tax rates have become unaffordable for seniors living on fixed incomes. James explained that a 50% reduction in property taxes would allow local families to redirect their money toward essential costs like groceries or childcare. “It will help the people that have, you know, three or $400,000 houses, property tax-wise, the older people, retired people that sometimes can’t even afford just a property tax payment,” James said.
The Historic Capitol building stands in Tallahassee, where state lawmakers and local leaders are deeply divided over the long-term impact of expanding the homestead exemption.
Timeline for tax changes
By the numbers:
According to the proposal, the state homestead exemption would increase from the current $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027. The exemption would then jump to $250,000 in 2028. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the primary purpose of the change is to make homestead property tax-free, calling the potential shift historic.
Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference advocating for constitutional tax relief, stating that the new homestead proposal aims to make primary residences completely property tax-free.
The other side:
Some residents spoke to FOX 13 off camera, expressing fear that the massive tax cuts could eliminate necessary community services. Property taxes are a primary funding source for local schools, public safety, infrastructure and emergency operations. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged voters to carefully consider the services they might lose before casting their ballots. “They see ‘tax cut,’ of course; everybody wants that,” Mayor Castor said. “But think about the services that you’re going to lose if you do vote.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor addresses reporters at a local infrastructure site, warning voters that a massive reduction in property tax revenues could trigger steep cuts to vital city services.
Budget adjustments and spending
What they’re saying:
“There are a lot of people here and maybe not in this little area, but right outside of this area that need that help,” James said. He suggested that local governments could protect emergency services by cutting superfluous spending instead of cutting public safety. “Move money around the right way and not make sure it doesn’t reduce police, fire department, everything else,” James said.
Future ballot measures
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet detailed how local municipalities will balance their budgets if the tax revenues disappear. Because the changes require a special amendment to the state constitution, it remains unknown whether voters will approve the measure when it hits the ballot this November.
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by FOX 13’s Danielle Zulkosky, a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Fox 13 interview with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
-
Oklahoma6 minutes agoOHP addresses concerns as self-driving semi trucks hit Oklahoma roads
-
Oregon8 minutes ago4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional
-
Pennsylvania13 minutes agoA gap in Pennsylvania law has put fire companies and county treasurers at odds over online raffles
-
Rhode Island21 minutes agoRI Day of Portugal parade names 2026 grand marshals
-
South-Carolina23 minutes agoAnderson County voters to weigh in on Statehouse races. Who’s on ballot?
-
South Dakota29 minutes agoSouth Dakota Community Foundation encourages nonprofits to apply for funding
-
Tennessee36 minutes agoGov. Bill Lee wraps up America 250 tour after visiting all 95 Tennessee counties
-
Texas38 minutes agoWomen’s College World Series championship series set: Texas to rematch Texas Tech
