page_title: Environment of Florida
section_title: Fauna
hierarchical_section_title: Environment of Florida / Biodiversity / Fauna
caption_attribution_description: English: Florida Scrub Jay, Blue Springs State Park, Orange City, Florida. Taken by Mwanner, 28 Feb, 2006. Русский: Голубая кустарниковая сойка (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
context_page_description: The environment of Florida in the United States yields an array of land and marine life in a mild subtropical climate. This environment has drawn millions of people to settle in the once rural state over the last hundred years. Florida's population increases by about 1,000 residents each day. Land development and water use have transformed the state, primarily through drainage and infill of the wetlands that once covered most of the peninsula.
  Much of Florida consists of karst limestone veined with water-filled caves and sinkholes, which provide homes to many species of aquatic life, some unique to particular Florida locations. As urban and suburban development have increased over the last decades, demand for groundwater has also risen, resulting in damage and drying out of portions of the cave system. This has led to ground subsidence as dry caves collapse, threatening property as well as ecosystems.
  Restoration of the Everglades has long been recognized as an environmental priority in the state.
context_section_description: Endemic species in Florida include the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri), Okaloosa darter (Etheostoma okaloosae), and Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium).
  Florida is a popular destination for birdwatching, because of the many species that can be found in the state at various times of the year. The Florida Ornithological Society maintains the official state list of the birds of Florida, which currently contains 498 species. A study published in 2003 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission documented 196 species of birds which were confirmed to breed in the state, with an additional 19 species listed as possible or probable breeders. The Great Florida Birding Trail, a 2000-mile (3200 km) long trail, is composed of 489 locations throughout the state which are optimal observation sites.
  Sport fishing is also popular in Florida; over 250 different species of fish (including 73 non-native species) can be found in Florida. There are more than 1000 species of fish in Florida's inshore waters.
  In 2010, NOAA, citing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, banned fishing of red snapper until the population has time to recover.
  Florida's Atlantic coast is home to the only extensive coral reefs in the continental United States, and the third largest in the world. The entire reef system in the Florida Keys is encompassed by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and significant portions of reef are protected as part of Biscayne National Park.
  In 1977, the federal government placed alligators on the endangered list. They were removed from the endangered list in 1987 and Florida permitted selective hunting in 1988.
caption: The Florida scrub jay is found only in Florida.
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