In summer Mosquito Lagoon is often best enjoyed after an afternoon thunderstorm when the light is less intense and the heat is tolerable. The mosquitoes? They will be with you no matter when you visit. These images were all made within the 4,740 acre Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve east of Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach.
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While this area is known as a spectacular wildlife viewing and sport fishing destination, it is rapidly degrading due to uncontrolled urban growth to its west in New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater. The rapid addition of urban sprawl is manifest in the lagoon's degraded water quality and declining health of wildlife communities. Polluted urban runoff and residential septic tanks are largely to blame for the decline of Mosquito Lagoon and the larger Indian River Lagoon system. Regardless, growth continues unchecked especially west of I-95 where it appears New Smyrna Beach is bent on bulldozing all the way west to Deltona.
Still, idyllic scenes can be found out in the lagoon which is dotted with countless oyster islands and ancient pilings from homesteads long lost to time and tide.
The islands of oysters were formed over eons. There is ample natural exploration still to be done, if you can stand the bugs. They are more menacing than just the name might imply. Best time to explore is in the rain or when there is strong sea breeze which blows the bugs inland.
We've Read:
Huanglongbing (HLB) or simply "Citrus Greening" is killing all of Florida's orange trees. The disease is caused by the invasive Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri). There is no known cure.
Florida citrus growers say antibiotics are necessary to save their industry from devastating effects of citrus greening. Science says antibiotic use on crops is irresponsible.
In a state inextricably linked to the oranges it produces—the fruit that adorns its licence plates and the juice that it offers visitors at welcome centers—marijuana might prove the replacement crop as Florida's orange crop is wiped out by Huanglongbing (HLB) or Citrus Greening.
A tiny insect no bigger than a grain of rice may go unnoticed on your citrus trees, but it could have devastating consequences for California citrus if not stopped. If Florida's example repeats itself. It is already too late.
