CEELAB Children's Books

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  An Afternoon in Mosquito Lagoon

  Suzie Caffery and Diahn Escue

  Oysters in Mosquito Lagoon serve many important functions. They filter the water, are consumed by a variety of predators (including humans) and create habitat for over 100 species. Sadly, Mosquito Lagoon's oysters are in trouble. This story describes some of the amazing animals that live in or around Mosquito Lagoon's oyster reefs. Information on how everyone can help protect Mosquito Lagoon oysters is also explained.

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  A new home for an old friend : responsible aquarium stewardship

  Suzie Caffery and Diahn Escue

  Moving to a new home is always hard. It's even rougher to figure out what to do with the pets and plants in your fish tank if it is not possible to take them with you. In this book we describe the devastating results to the environment when a seaweed and a fish species were released by humans into coastal waters.

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  As the Seas Rise: How Coastal Plants and Animals Will Be Affected by Sea Level Rise

  Linda Walters and Sydney Katz

  Lottie the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Marshall and Marsha Marshgrass, and Ollie the Eastern Oyster are here to tell their stories. You'll learn about each of them and how their futures are threatened by sea level rise. So read this book, and get to know your coastline!

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  Beak and seek : hungry birds depend on oysters reefs

  Linda Walters, Joshua Sacks, Paul Sacks, Michelle Shaffer, and Owen Fasolas

  Oyster Reefs and Birds are connected in many significant ways..Look inside these pages and you will learn about some of our favorite wading and aquatic birds - How they feed, what they eat, and why protecting our oyster reefs is essential to protecting these amazing birds!

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  Fish Invaders at Gypsy Point: Katie and George Learn About Alternatives to Aquarium Dumping

  Grace V. Nimnualrat, Anne Marie Wotkyns, George H. Zaleski, Linda Walters, and Susan Zaleski

  While snorkeling, Katie and George come across a beautiful but unknown fish, so they snap a photo of it and take the photo to Dr. Linda at the University Marine Lab. She describes the unknown fish as a lionfish - a new, invasive species in western Atlantic waters that was most likely introduced by aquarium dumping (humans releasing unwanted plants and pets from aquarium tanks in to local waterways). Dr. Linda discusses the serious problems this fish and another invasive species, the green seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia, are causing to coral reefs and other aquatic habitats. She also explains better alternatives to aquarium dumping that Katie and George then share with their friend Dave. Although Gypsy Point is a hypothetical location along the Atlantic coast of Florida, the problems with aquarium dumping are very real! Please read this book with your family to learn about safe alternatives for pets and plants in your fish tank if you can no longer care for them.

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  Please Keep Plastics Out of My Lagoon!

  Linda Walters

  Everyone is talking about plastic pollution. In this book for young audiences, we provide information on plastic pollution, including microplastics. We describe some of the many animals found in our favorite estuary, the Indian River Lagoon, that are impacted by plastics. This book asks young readers to pick the items they want to see in their lagoon, "This animal friend or that harmful piece of plastic?"

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  Rising Tides: A Guide to Sea Level Rise and the Coastal Organisms It Will Affect

  Linda Walters and Sydney Katz

  A lot has been written about how humans will be impacted by sea level rise, but there are many species of animals and plants that will also be affected. Lottie the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Marshall and Marsha Marshgrass, and Ollie the Eastern Oyster are here to tell their stories. You’ll learn all about their life-cycles, the important roles they play in their environment, and what the future may hold for them. So pick up this book, and get to know your coastline!

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  SILENT TAKEOVER! Invasive Plants in Florida

  Katherine Harris, Linda Walters, and Samantha Yuan

  Native plants in Florida create the beautiful, wild world around us. But they are in danger! Hundreds of invasive plant species are silently taking over Florida's natural environment. These unwelcome plants grow aggressively and can overgrow native plants and animals in many different habitats. Invasive plants are so widespread that there may even be some growing in your backyard. Look inside to learn about Florida's invasive plant problem. Find out about some of the most harmful invasive plants, the problems they cause to natural ecosystems, and how you can help to manage invasive plants to help keep Florida native and wild!

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  This Amazing Place Where the Sea Meets the Land

  Melinda Donnelly, Linda Walters, and Joshua Sacks

  In this book we tell you about the plants and animals that depend on coastal shorelines. We, as humans, need to protect this fragile habitat as we depend on many of these species for our food, our recreation, and to protect our shorelines from washing away.

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  We Will Remember Turtle Mound: Uncovering the Past and Saving the Future of Florida’s First People

  Suzie Caffery and Diahn Escue

  This book is geared toward fourth graders. It tells the story of the Timucuan people and Turtle Mound, one of the largest coastal shell middens on the east coast. After describing the past, it tells about recent losses of artifacts due to climate change and “living shoreline” efforts to preserve and protect the midden into the future. Tons of fish bones, oyster shells, pieces of broken pottery, and other discarded materials were piled into large mounds, frequently called shell middens, many hundreds of years ago. On the east coast of Central Florida, along the shorelines of Mosquito Lagoon, many mounds were created by the Timucuan people. The largest of these mounds is known as Turtle Mound. In the pages of this book you will read about the past, present and future of this historic site and some of the many individuals dedicated to its protection.