Phosphate levels rise in the lagoon.
The Marine Resources Council has released the LagoonWatch report for the month of July. Many lagoon reporting sites had low phosphate concentrations, but more sites moved into the “fair” or “poor” categories during July. A hotspot for phosphates formed around Melbourne and Palm Bay. Elevated concentrations can result from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, wastewater spills, and stormwater drainage. Excess phosphates fuel the algal blooms that choke out seagrass and starve the Lagoon of oxygen.
Data for the LagoonWatch program is collected by citizen scientists who take water quality measurements at various Lagoon locations in Brevard County.
The de-Flocking of Florida.
The de-Flocking of Florida has begun. Roadside license plate readers are being removed, amid fears of a surveillance state. The Florida Department of Transportation has ordered the Flock cameras be pulled from all state roads. The Melbourne Police Department has suspended the use of the license plate readers, as has the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Indian Harbour Beach, and Titusville. In Palm Bay, the cameras have been turned back on, but their future is far from secure.
The controversial cameras are designed to capture every vehicle that passes by, recording details like license plate numbers, and model of car. Law enforcement agencies say the cameras are a critical tool to solving crimes quickly.
Where are the rockets?
Rocket launches from the Cape have dramatically slowed. We had gotten used to 2 or 3 launches a week - 60 so far this year. But now, none are on the schedule short-term. The slowdown is due to mission delays, mishaps, and space companies preparing for new rockets. SpaceX is shifting its Starlink launches to California, reserving Florida for its upcoming Starship rocket. The next SpaceX launch, a crewed flight to the Space Station on a Falcon 9, is on hold due to an oxidizer leak in the Dragon Capsule. Other companies like ULA and Blue Origin have faced setbacks, grounding their respective rockets. A booster mishap has kept the ULA new Vulcan rocket grounded for much of the year. And the Blue Origin launch pad explosion has kept it’s New Glenn rocket out of service. Bottom line: there is no launch on the schedule right now.
Florida schools forced to change name of Lake Ontario.
Florida public schools are being told to use a new name for Lake Ontario. Central Florida Public Media’s education reporter Kayla Kissel reports:
Florida’s education commissioner directed the state’s Division of Public Schools to begin using the name “Lake America” immediately in K-through-12 schools. But the Florida Department of Education has not said when schools will update textbooks, maps, digital resources or other classroom materials.
The order does not require private mapmakers or the public to use the new name. For its part, Canada is sticking with the original Wendat name, which dates back hundreds of years.
Florida knows how to party.
New college party school rankings by niche.com placed five Florida universities in the top 50, including the nation’s No. 1 spot. The 2027 Party School report ranks colleges across the country based on student life and campus social scenes. The University of Florida came in at #47, but Florida State University claimed the top spot in the national rankings, bumping out Tulane, Wisconsin, Dayton and Southern California.
