Florida

Kids cool down at an animal-themed splash pad at Zoo Miami. Mist stations also help visitors avoid overheating on sweltering days.

In Miami, the Nation’s First Chief Heat Officer Charts a Course for Surviving on a Warming Planet

By building a broad coalition of partners across the political spectrum, the Florida metropolis is doing all that it can to keep the city cool

Flamingos were nearly hunted to extinction for their feathers by the early 1900s. But, thanks in part to conservation and habitat restoration efforts, they're making a comeback in Florida. This flamingo was spotted in Miami Beach in 2018.

More Than a Century Ago, Flamingos Disappeared From Florida. Now, They're Coming Home

Likely transported by Hurricane Idalia last August, more than 100 of the pink birds were counted in a February census in the Sunshine State, where they are considered a native species

About 75 percent of Americans are expected to travel by car this summer. Taking the scenic route along such roadways as Highway 101, seen above in Del Mar, California, can make the trip even more worthwhile.

Seven of the Most Beautiful Roads in the United States

From Alaska to Florida, these serene and exhilarating stretches beg you to take the scenic route

A hawksbill sea turtle munches away on a sponge near Juno Beach.

Journey Under the Sea With 15 Amazing Photos of Marine Life

These Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest images feature the captivating creatures that live beneath the waves

Visitors at the Dalí Museum can pick up a recreation of the artist's Lobster Telephone (1938) and ask the A.I. replica a question.

You Can Chat With an A.I. Replica of Salvador Dalí

At a Florida museum, "Ask Dalí" allows visitors to speak with the Surrealist artist via a lobster telephone

A picture of the International Space Station captured by the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2007. Last month, a two-ton pallet of batteries released by the space station in 2021 re-entered Earth's atmosphere. It was expected to mostly burn up upon re-entry, but a two-pound piece of debris that struck a Florida home may have come from the batteries.

Falling Object That Crashed Into Florida Home May Be Debris From the International Space Station

Nobody was hurt by the mysterious, two-pound object, but experts speculate it may be a piece of batteries ejected from the station in 2021

Researchers hold a male red-cockaded woodpecker in Florida’s Osceola National Forest, making sure his tracking bands are correctly in place.

Endangered Woodpeckers Find a New Home on a Military Training Ground

The red-cockaded woodpecker has lost nearly all of its habitat in the southeastern United States, but an Air Force range in Florida is part of an emerging initiative to relocate besieged species on protected land

Wildlife biologists are trying to figure out what's killing smalltooth sawfish and other species in Florida.

Florida Fish Are Mysteriously Dying After 'Spinning and Whirling,' and Scientists Can't Explain It

The abnormal behavior has raised special concerns about the endangered smalltooth sawfish, an odd-looking ray with chainsaw-like teeth, as 28 of them have died

The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests atop of a container ship following the bridge's collapse on March 26, 2024.

Seven of the Worst Bridge Disasters in World History

The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is shocking—but not unprecedented

A diver documents one of the five cannons found during a recent archaeological survey of the wreck in Dry Tortugas National Park.

Sunken British Warship That Left Crew Marooned for 66 Days Has Been Identified

Found off the coast of Florida, the HMS "Tyger" left some 300 crew members stranded on Garden Key in 1742

A SpaceX rocket carrying 125 miniature moon sculptures by Jeff Koons launched at 1:05 a.m. on February 15.

A Lunar Lander Carrying Jeff Koons' Art Is Flying Toward the Moon

The spacecraft, which finally launched on February 15, is expected to touch down on February 22

One possible explanation for the low-frequency noises? Mating black drum fish.

Mysterious Bass Sounds Irking Florida Residents Might Just Be Fish Mating Loudly

The Tampa community raised money to fund an investigation, and now, a local scientist will install underwater microphones to look for the source of the racket

A record number of manatees gather in a warm spring in Florida's Blue Spring State Park on January 21, 2024.

Nearly 1,000 Manatees Converge on Florida State Park to Keep Warm in Record-Breaking Sighting

The park's naturally heated waters drew unprecedented numbers of the marine mammals, which are especially vulnerable to the cold

Left, Bartram’s illustration of Annona grandiflora, a member of the pawpaw family, which appeared in the naturalist’s 1791 Travels, right.

More Than 200 Years After He Toured Florida, America's First Great Environmentalist Is Inspiring Locals to Reconnect With Nature

A new generation is discovering the rambling Southern route of William Bartram and his legendary 1791 travelogue

More than 200 cold-stunned turtles have already been rescued since November.

52 Cold-Stunned Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles Rescued From Cape Cod

The critically endangered creatures were flown by private plane to rehabilitation centers in Florida

The leucistic baby gator is happy and healthy, veterinarians say.

Rare White Alligator Born at Florida Wildlife Park

The baby gator, which doesn't have a name yet, was born with leucism, a condition that affects pigmentation

Because St. Lucie's hull was raised and repaired, the anchor is all the remains from the 1906 wreck.

Anchor From 1906 Shipwreck Found in Florida

The steamship "St. Lucie" went down in a hurricane, killing 26 passengers on board

The jawbone likely belonged to a Columbian mammoth.

Fossil Hunter Pulls Massive Mammoth Jawbone Out of Florida River

John Kreatsoulas, who made the discovery while diving in southwest Florida, initially thought the 60-pound mandible was a log

An interim memorial now stands in front of the Pulse nightclub, the site of a deadly 2016 mass shooting.

Plans for Museum Honoring Victims of Pulse Nightclub Shooting Have Been Canceled

The city of Orlando has agreed to buy the nightclub property, where a permanent memorial will eventually open

Crews painstakingly removed mud layer by layer to expose the vessel.

Workers Unearth 19th-Century Shipwreck Beneath a Road in Florida

The 19-foot-long vessel was found alongside a kerosene lamp, leather shoes, coins and other artifacts

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