Surf and Turf
This coastal upland structure found near the beach shares its name with a science fiction series written by Frank Herbert.
What is a dune?
This pelagic fish sports a wingspan of up to 29 feet in length.
What is the manta ray?
This anatomical feature is not useful for identifying birds due to changes in maturity or seasonality.
What are feathers?
This popular marine mammal can sometimes be found in waters near power plants.
What is the Florida manatee?
These mollusks are considered a keystone species for the Indian River Lagoon.
What is the oyster?
A favorite snack of beach mice, this plant species is routinely used in dune restoration.
What is the sea oat?
Mangroves provide shelter to many species when they are young, including this endangered species of reptile.
What is the American crocodile?
This native raptor decapitates its prey with its beak mid-flight before feeding.
What is the peregrine falcon?
Tiny variations in these sites on a North Atlantic right whale's head can be used to identify the specific individual.
What is a callosity?
This "living fossil" is more closely related to arthropods than crustaceans.
What is the horseshoe crab?
This native shrub species finds itself in competition with an invasive species from the same genus.
What is the inkberry?
This species of sea turtle is not known to nest in Florida due to primarily being a Caribbean species.
What is the hawksbill sea turtle?
This seabird's distinguishing feature is a particularly large lower jawbone.
What is the black skimmer?
This species of toothed whale that can be found in Floridian waters is known for its unique skin pattern.
What is the Atlantic spotted dolphin?
A distinguishing feature in echinoderms is this particular type of body symmetry.
What is radial symmetry?
This type of seaweed makes up a good portion of the beach wrack that washes up on central Florida's east coast beaches.
What is sargassum?
Sharks have this anatomical feature embedded in their skin which helps to break up the surface tension of the water.
What are dermal denticles?
Plovers exhibit this behavior when a potential predator is near its nest.
What is the broken wing act?
This anatomical structure found in toothed whales is particularly useful for echolocation.
What is the melon?
This subgroup includes species that only spend part of their life cycles in a planktonic state.
What are meroplankton?
Palms are not true trees, but are instead members of this group of plants.
What is a monocot?
This full-time reef dweller will defend the tips of staghorn corals from others of its kind.
What is the damselfish?
These dabblers are the smallest in all of North America.
What is the American green-winged teal?
This toothed whale found in coastal Floridian waters can eject ink much like an octopus in order to escape nearby predators.
What is the dwarf/pygmy sperm whale?
Cnidocytes, the distinguishing feature of cnidarians, contain this unique organelle.
What is the nematocyst?