A Natural History of the Cedar Keys: Biology and Mysteries

Dr. Harvey Lillywhite, Professor and Director of the University of Florida Marine Research Laboratory on Seahorse Key, will present "A Natural History of the Cedar Keys: Biology and Mysteries." Dr. Lillywhite and his staff have conducted years of extensive research in and around the Cedar Keys. See and hear the fascinating findings of this ongoing research.

This activity will take particpants on a 3-4 hour cruise through the outermost Cedar Keys with several stops to explore the regional natural history. A stop on the water will inform you about the amazing diversity of marine invertebrates that inhabit the surrounding sea, which has also provided one of the richest aquaculture industries in the nation.

The trip will focus on Seahorse Key, which is the outermost and largest island in the Cedar Keys chain. There we will visit the University of Florida Marine Laboratory, a historic lighthouse dating from 1854, and view one of the largest colonial nesting bird rookeries in Florida. The influence of recent hurricanes also will be examined.

The return to Cedar Key will take us past Snake Key and the historic island Atsena Otie. The trip will emphasize marine life, island ecology, birds and spectacular phenomena related to colonial bird rookeries that are protected on these islands.