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Happy Fall! It’s finally arrived... if only on the calendar. There’s been a small drop in temperature (the 80’s instead of 90’s) and the mosquito count is noticeably down. I don't want to jinx us, but we're two months shy of the end of 2024 Hurricane Season and we haven't had a powerful hurricane... yet. Hurricane destruction comes in waves; first from the wind and water, which results in power outages, broken infrastructure, roofs opened and while mosquitos are eating you alive, the second wave of destruction which I fear most begins, when the unemployed surfers with chainsaws appear and start cutting down our mangrove shoreline to improve a view.  Distinctive snorkel roots from the Black Mangrove stick out from the ground like fingers, and grow alongside Red Mangrove prop roots. The strongest hurricane winds do not uproot the mangroves, but can shake the trees so violently that the bark peels off, exposing the cambium layers to salt spray and waves, quickly killing the tree. Both dead and living mangroves are protected as outlined in the 1996 Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act. There are very specific regulations and heavy fines for illegal mangrove trimming. Florida law allows property owners and/or professional trimmers to trim mangroves to improve their view or access navigable waterways. Visit https://floridadep.gov and search for Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act to learn more. Always check with local environmental officials before trimming mangroves.  A white ibis observes from a mangrove branch.  A roseate spoonbill probes for mollusks and other invertebrates in the sediment. The Keys have four tree species in their mangrove forests: the Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) with it’s spider-like prop roots and cigar shaped seeds, the smaller White Mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) with it’s pea like seeds, the dark barked Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) whose distinctive aerial roots stick up from the ground like thin fingers, and Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus), the tree with the distinctive bark which looks as if it want to come off.  Red mangrove seeds develop on the tree and when they fall into the water they soon sprout roots along rocky coastlines.  White mangrove seeds are pea-like. All mangroves disperse their seeds by water. The red mangroves are particularly important because their high arching prop root systems entrap sediment and decayed organic materials, making them not only an essential habitat in the marine food chain, but also “land-builders” which have formed over 200 islands in Florida Bay. Mangroves are cold sensitive plants, that range from the St. Johns River on the East Coast, down through the Florida Keys, and up Florida’s west Coast to Cedar Key. North Key Largo is home to about 8,000 acres of mangroves. Mangroves are the nursery for the oceans. When they are destroyed it upsets the ecosystem. Fishermen know that 75% of the game fish and 90% of the commercial species use mangrove roots and shallow waters to shelter from predators until they reach a size large enough to fend for themselves. Mullet, mangrove snapper, snook, tarpon, shrimp, sea trout and blue crab call the mangroves home. The American crocodile lives in the mangroves and the mangrove water snake hides out among the tangle of prop roots and branches. Bottlenose dolphin feed on fishes associated with mangrove systems.  Manatees are frequently observed swimming in proximity to mangroves. Manatees (Trichechus manatus) feed on seagrasses and other submerged aquatic plants and are frequently observed swimming in proximity to mangroves. On a visit to my favorite mangrove lined canal, I sensed a photograph, however the water needed cleaning of a landscaper’s errant grass clippings that littered the surface. As I skimmed the water with a net to catch the clippings, my splashing attracted a West Indian manatee. Next a small nurse shark swam by... the place was alive. I thought all I needed to complete the scene was a bird. As I positioned the camera to capture the photo, a green heron flew in and perched on one of the prop roots. At that moment I felt as if I were Dr. DoLittle on an animal adventure. The rare and endangered Mangrove Diamondback (Malaclemys terrapin) only lives in the brackish back waters of the Florida Keys and Everglades. White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) feed on crabs and Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) prey on mollusks and other invertebrates living within the sediment. The entire Everglades population of the wood stork (Mycteria americana) nests only in mangroves.  The reclusive Mangrove Diamondback terrapin lives in the brackish waters of the Florida Keys and Everglades. Photo by: Morgan Barnes  Pelican guano coats a small mangrove island. The Red Mangrove, the “walking tree” found growing on the shorelines, is the basis for an impressive natural ocean filter system for litter dumped at sea, highlighting the importance of individual and organized coastal clean-up efforts. Back in the early 80s, my husband Ted and I would explore the mangrove shoreline, and leave with treasures like old buoys and wormy driftwood. It was athletic work as we balanced on the giant prop roots and labored to free a piece of debris from the mangroves. We called the shoreline our “Overseas Lumber Company.” Once home Ted would rip the driftwood into strips and make the most beautiful wormy frames for displaying my photographs. As I sit musing about some of the best times of my life, Ted appears steadied by his walker. I great him cheerily “Happy Fall!” He replies, “Trying not to.” All we need to do is understand some words and the context helps us out with the rest.  Red mangrove shoreline at dusk. Seagrape trees often grown near red mangroves.  A little green heron sits undercover of the mangroves.
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 The photos I take from my heart almost never have any evidence of “human” involvement.
I seek places that are wild and serene, usually at the waters edge or out in nature. I will revisit the place at different times of day, and weather conditions. Often enough to get a sense of place...to really get to know it. I will take about 50 photos each visit, varying the exposure, focus and vantage point. The magic (or luck) comes when the mechanical settings of the camera and the environmental conditions come together. Definition of LUCK: “When preparation meets opportunity.” |
CAROL ELLIS
This photographic website provides me the opportunity for self-expression, for sharing Archives
September 2024
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