POST HURRICANE IAN UPDATES | OCT. 24, 2022

The work day has changed indefinitely for many SCCF staff whose jobs revolve around managing and monitoring water, wildlife, habitat, and natural systems on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Yet our staff have continued making scientific observations while assisting first responders, meeting vital community needs, and laboring tirelessly to clean up the mess Ian left across our lands and properties.  

"The flow from the Franklin Lock and Dam sharply decreased following the peak flow but continues to be at damaging levels for our estuary at a 14-day average of 3,046 cfs,” said SCCF Research & Policy Associate Leah Reidenbach. “With dry season patterns beginning we expect the average flow to continue to decline, but it is unknown how long it will take our system to recover from such a damaging event.” 

If you see any wildlife on the islands, please share your sighting with SCCF.

"It's a critical time for us to document any widlife sightings on our islands," said Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz. "This post-Hurricane Ian recovery time is a great time for citizen science. We are grateful that our community cares so much about our wildlife and look forward to everyone's input."

In the sighting form, you can upload a photo or a video, or you can just report your sighting, including the species (as you are able to best identify), the date, and the location by entering text. We are also seeking reports of fatalities if you see dead animals.

This morning, SCCF staff were excited to spot an Eastern ratsnake (Patherophis alleghaniensis) in the Puschel Preserve off Periwinkle Way on Sanibel.

"This is a good example of what we're looking for with wildlife sightings. It was the first time we've seen this species since the hurricane," said Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz.

American alligators and gopher tortoises were likely impacted by flooding and saltwater intrusion from Hurricane Ian, but hope remains for local populations of these critical keystone species.

Many of the uplands on Sanibel were flooded over from the storm surge and burrows were totally inundated with tortoises in them. “Tortoises are accustomed to occasional flooding and although there was likely a significant loss of tortoises, it's certain that many survived,” said SCCF Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz. “This has been verified by several people throughout the island.” SCCF will continue to monitor wildlife and will provide updates.

SCCF Marine Laboratory Director Eric Milbrandt is returning this week from a 7-day research cruise with a team of scientists from Florida Gulf Coast University to sample water quality from St. Petersburg to Naples. The collaboration took place aboard a vessel operated by the Florida Institute of Oceanography. Here, WINK News reporter Elizabeth Biro provides an update on day three of the journey. Watch Elizabeth deliver a LIVE update from the research vessel on WINK News during today's 3pm newscast!

Mangroves attenuate wave energy and protect shores from coastal erosion, which means mangroves could potentially reduce the impacts of storm surge during hurricanes, SCCF Coastal Resilience Manager Carrie Schuman tells Fox 4. 

“They sort of capture sediment that comes into those systems during tidal cycles and they build up the ground beneath them,” she said.

Last week, SCCF Shorebird Biologist Audrey Albrecht happened to notice a laughing gull struggling in the sand. 

“When I went to pick the bird up, I thought it was stuck. I thought maybe the gull was tangled in monofilament line, but quickly realized his legs were buried,” she tells NBC-2. The gull is now recovering thanks to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

If you have questions, including information on our bank wiring instructions and making a donation of stock shares, please contact SCCF Development Director Cheryl Giattini at 239-822-6121 or cgiattini@sccf.org. Also, please remember that the island post offices are not functioning and SCCF’s temporary mailing address is PO Box 101130, Cape Coral, FL 33910. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this heartfelt request.

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