Tiffany Duong

Being “Crazy for Coral” pays off!  Locals’ favorite reef-safe sunscreen Stream2Sea (S2S) teamed up with non-profit Reef Renewal USA and Sir Richard Branson’s sustainability-minded cruise line Virgin Voyages to restore our reef. So far, they’ve successfully funded and planted over 10,000 endangered corals here in the Florida Keys. S2S products keep...

For the past few years, dive industry leader PADI and sister nonprofit PADI AWARE (formerly, Project AWARE) have been revamping the latter’s signature “Dive Against Debris” course. In June, they invited me and Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo to give it a test spin. The long and...

One certain stand of elkhorn coral and one “smiley” balloonfish from the Florida Keys will be making their way around the country – as part of a new collection of stamps featuring marine life.  On Friday, Aug. 5, the U.S. Postal Service will release a collection of Forever stamps that...

Famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau taught us, “People protect what they love, they love what they understand and they understand what they are taught.” The Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park are taking this famous sentiment one step...

“The house is on fire, and we cannot get your dogs out.” Justin Benson and Bailey Thomasson were celebrating a friend’s birthday at Lost & Found bar in Key West when their landlord called them, hysterical. A woodshop fire had jumped to the landlords’ side of the duplex and spread...

“If you look at this as just a wreck to dive on, you’re missing the whole story,” said Kamau Sadiki. “Each of these vessels has a powerful and tremendous story to tell, and the only way to tell it is to interrogate it, investigate it, sense it and feel...

In mid-June, Bud N’ Mary’s Marina was buzzing with activity. I.CARE, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the local reefs of Islamorada, hosted Force Blue and Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) in a two-day coral training, planting and monitoring exercise to benefit our local coral reefs. Divers planted endangered corals...

“This is horrific.” Bette Zirkelbach, the manager of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, could not hide her frustration, disappointment and sadness. An endangered adult loggerhead sea turtle had come out of the ocean to nest on Sea Oats Beach. Unfortunately, the female turtle was hit and killed while crossing U.S....

The ocean matters.  Obviously, living here in the Florida Keys, we know this. In fact, the importance of our local environment is one of the things that most everyone – regardless of political leanings and beliefs – knows to be true.  I didn’t have to go to New York City for...

In the Upper Keys, people have come to associate Emma Haydocy’s name with environmental protection. Serving as Florida Bay Forever’s first full-time executive director since February 2020 (after joining the organization in 2019 as support staff), she catapulted the organization to new levels of influence and impact. Now, she...

“Here in Islamorada, we’re situated at the edge of Florida Bay,” said Kelly Cox, director of Everglades policy for Audubon Florida, to a record crowd. “Hopefully, we’ll also be the beneficiary of Everglades restoration.” Cox, a resident of Tavernier, was among many to welcome the South Florida Water Management District...

On May 17, 2002, the USS Spiegel Grove sank in the Florida Keys. While her journey to the bottom of the sea was carefully planned, the ship surprised everyone involved by sinking early, "turning turtle” and landing on her side. Three years later, powerful waves and energy from Hurricane...