The biggest environmental issues in Florida are harmful algal blooms such as red tide, nutrient-polluted rivers and lakes, the shrinking Everglades, rising seas and high-tide flooding, powerful hurricanes, dying coral reefs, invasive species such as the Burmese python and the loss of seagrass that manatees depend on. Most environmental problems in Florida are linked by one thing: water, and how much of it is polluted, diverted or rising.
Florida had 23.4 million residents on April 1, 2025, about 1.8 million more than at the 2020 Census, according to the official estimate by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. That growth puts more pressure on the same wetlands, springs and coasts. Below are the eight main problems with the latest official figures, a summary table, what is being done and what you can do.
Top 8 Environmental Issues in Florida
1. Red Tide and Other Harmful Algal Blooms
Red tide is a bloom of the microscopic alga Karenia brevis, whose toxins affect the nervous system of fish and can be released into the air by breaking waves. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) counts a bloom when there are 100,000 or more cells per liter of water. The 2017–2019 bloom lasted about 16 months, and the longest on record lasted 31 months, from 2001 to 2004, according to the FWC. In August 2018 the bloom stretched more than 150 miles of Gulf coast, from Pinellas to Collier County (NOAA).
Blooms keep coming back. On October 23, 2026, the FWC reported bloom concentrations in two samples from St. Joseph Bay (Gulf County), along with fish kills and respiratory irritation suspected to be related to red tide (FWC status report). Freshwater has its own problem: blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in Lake Okeechobee. In June 2025, satellite imagery showed low to moderate bloom potential on about 60–70% of the lake, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
2. Nutrient Pollution and Septic Tanks
Nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer, stormwater, wastewater and septic tanks feed those algae. In FDEP’s 2026 Integrated Water Quality Report, 2,230 of 4,252 assessed waterbody segments did not meet water quality standards (not counting mercury in fish), and the most common causes were low dissolved oxygen, nutrients and fecal bacteria. Based on statewide sampling, the same report estimates that 48.5% of the miles of Florida’s streams and rivers and 39.4% of its lake area exceed the nitrogen, phosphorus or dissolved oxygen criteria that protect aquatic life.
Florida has about 2.6 million septic systems, roughly 12% of all those in the U.S., and about 30% of Floridians rely on one, according to FDEP. Conventional septic systems are one of many sources of nitrogen in Florida’s groundwater, according to an FDEP fact sheet, which is why the state now requires nitrogen-reducing systems in some areas.
3. The Shrinking Everglades
By the end of the 20th century, the Everglades ecosystem was about half its historical size, partly because of federal water-supply and flood-control projects, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Before the Herbert Hoover Dike was built around Lake Okeechobee, the lake overflowed and sent a sheet of water south through the Everglades.
Today, large releases from the lake go to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries on the coasts, which harms them, according to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), approved by Congress in 2000, aims to improve the timing, distribution and quality of water flowing south from the lake. Its estimated cost has grown from $8.2 billion (in 2000 dollars) to $23.2 billion (in 2020 dollars), and it is expected to take about 50 years from authorization, according to the same CRS report.
4. Sea Level Rise and High-Tide Flooding
The sea at Key West has risen 2.24 mm a year since 1913, or about 0.73 feet (22 cm) per century, and the trend at Miami Beach is 2.39 mm a year, according to NOAA tide gauge data. Southeast Florida’s counties plan for more: their Regional Climate Change Compact projects 10–17 inches (25–43 cm) of rise above 2000 levels by 2040 and 21–54 inches (53–137 cm) by 2070.
Higher seas mean more flooding at high tide, even on sunny days. From May 2023 to April 2024, St. Petersburg had six high-tide flood days, its most on record, according to NOAA. Flooding varies from year to year: from May 2025 to April 2026, no station on Florida’s Gulf coast set a new record (NOAA).
Low ground and a porous limestone base make Southeast Florida inherently vulnerable to flooding, and rising groundwater leaves the soil less room to absorb rain, according to a Miami-Dade County report.
5. Hurricanes and Storm Surge
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida on September 28, 2022, as a Category 4 storm. It caused 66 direct deaths in Florida and about $109.5 billion in damage in the state, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Storm surge reached 10–15 feet above ground level at Fort Myers Beach.
In 2024, Hurricane Helene hit the Big Bend with 12–16 feet of storm surge, according to the NHC’s final report (as reported by News4JAX). Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 storm and produced 45 known tornadoes on land, according to the NHC’s final report (as reported by Bay News 9). The 2025 season was a rare break: no hurricane made landfall in the continental U.S. for the first time since 2015, according to NOAA.
6. Coral Reef Decline
Florida’s Coral Reef stretches more than 350 miles from the Dry Tortugas to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County (NOAA) and is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental U.S. (FDEP). In summer 2023, an extreme marine heat wave hit parts of the Keys, and some reefs bleached completely.
At five of the seven Mission: Iconic Reefs restoration sites, fewer than 22% of about 1,500 planted staghorn corals were still alive after the heat wave, and fewer than 5% of about 1,000 surveyed elkhorn corals survived, according to NOAA.
A study led by NOAA Coral Reef Watch and Shedd Aquarium, published in Science on October 23, 2025, found that 98–100% of elkhorn and staghorn corals died in the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas and declared both species functionally extinct on Florida’s reef, according to the University of Miami, whose scientists co-authored it.
7. Invasive Species and the Burmese Python
The Burmese python, a giant constrictor native to southern and Southeast Asia (FWC), is Florida’s best-known invasive species. Almost 28,000 wild Burmese pythons have been removed from Florida and reported to the FWC since 2000, and the 2026 Florida Python Challenge removed 280 in ten days, according to the FWC. The 2025 challenge set the record of 294 (FWC).
The damage is already visible. Road surveys in Everglades National Park in 2003–2011 recorded 99.3% fewer raccoon sightings, 98.9% fewer opossums and 87.5% fewer bobcats than before 2000, as the python population grew, according to a 2012 study in PNAS co-authored by the U.S. Geological Survey.
8. Seagrass Loss and Manatee Deaths
In the Indian River Lagoon, algae blooms fueled by excess nutrients have destroyed large areas of seagrass, the main food of manatees on Florida’s east coast. In 2021, a record 1,101 manatees died in Florida (FWC data via WLRN). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared an Unusual Mortality Event that counted 1,255 deaths from March 2021 to April 2022, mainly from starvation, according to the Marine Mammal Commission.
Deaths have since fallen but remain high: 632 manatees died in 2025, including at least 98 hit by boats and 50 killed by red tide, according to the FWC. The Florida manatee is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and a January 2025 federal proposal would keep that status, according to the Marine Mammal Commission.
Florida’s Environmental Issues at a Glance
| Issue | Key figure | Source | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red tide | 2017–2019 bloom lasted about 16 months | FWC | Blooms recur; bloom levels in St. Joseph Bay, Oct 2026 |
| Water quality | 2,230 of 4,252 waterbody segments impaired (2026) | FDEP | Dissolved oxygen and nutrients the most common causes |
| Septic tanks | About 2.6 million systems, 12% of the U.S. total | FDEP | Nitrogen-reducing systems required in some areas |
| Everglades | About half of the historical area lost | CRS | CERP: $23.2 billion, about 50 years |
| Sea level | +2.24 mm a year at Key West since 1913 | NOAA | 10–17 inches above 2000 levels by 2040 (regional projection) |
| Hurricanes | Ian: $109.5 billion damage in Florida (2022) | NHC | No U.S. hurricane landfall in 2025 |
| Coral reef | 98–100% of elkhorn and staghorn corals died in the Keys (2023) | Science study led by NOAA and Shedd Aquarium | Restoration continues |
| Manatees | 632 deaths (2025) | FWC | Down from a record 1,101 in 2021 |
What Is Being Done
- Everglades restoration. The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, the CERP project that will store and clean Lake Okeechobee water before sending it south, is now targeted for completion in 2029, five years ahead of the original timeline. The SFWMD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a project partnership agreement on July 21, 2026, and the 2026–27 budget includes $1.2 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality, according to the SFWMD.
- Septic-to-sewer and cleaner septic systems. Under a 2023 state law (HB 1379), new septic systems on lots of one acre or less in areas with state water cleanup plans must reduce nitrogen, and by January 1, 2030, existing systems in the Indian River Lagoon area must connect to sewer where available or be upgraded, according to FDEP. State grant programs also fund septic-to-sewer projects (FDEP); check current rules for your county.
- Coral restoration. Mission: Iconic Reefs, led by NOAA with partners, aims to restore seven coral reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to self-sustaining levels by 2040 (NOAA).
- Python removal. Contractors working for the FWC and the SFWMD have removed more than 19,000 pythons since 2017, alongside the public Python Challenge, according to the FWC.
A 2024 state law (HB 1645) removed many references to climate change from Florida’s statutes, dropped it as an energy policy priority and banned new offshore wind facilities within one mile of the coast, as reported by the Florida Phoenix. Southeast Florida’s regional compact still tells local governments to use its 2019 sea level rise projection for planning (Compact).
What You Can Do
- Use less fertilizer. At least 35 Florida counties and 97 more cities and towns have fertilizer ordinances, and some ban lawn fertilizer during the summer rainy season, typically June through October, according to UF/IFAS. Check your local rules.
- Maintain your septic tank or connect to sewer. Have it inspected and pumped regularly, and ask your county or city about septic-to-sewer projects.
- Check conditions before a beach day. The FWC updates its red tide sampling map daily and its statewide status report on Fridays. People with asthma or bronchitis should avoid red tide areas, especially when the wind blows onshore, advises the Florida Department of Health.
- Report invasive species. Report pythons and other nonnative animals to the FWC Invasive Species Hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1 (888-483-4681), at IveGot1.org or in the free IveGot1 app (FWC).
- Slow down for manatees. Follow posted manatee speed zones and wear polarized sunglasses to spot them under the surface, as the FWC advises.
- Compare with other places. Our overview of global environmental issues puts Florida in world context, and our article on environmental issues in the USA covers the country as a whole. Florida’s neighbor shares many of its problems, as our guide to environmental issues in Mexico shows, and our article on environmental issues in Europe shows how heat, floods and fires are playing out on another continent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest environmental issue in Florida?
There is no official ranking, but water quality ties most of the problems together. Nutrient pollution from fertilizer, stormwater, wastewater and septic tanks feeds algae blooms, which have destroyed seagrass that manatees eat. More than half of the waterbody segments the state assessed for its 2026 report failed to meet water quality standards.
What causes red tide in Florida?
Red tide is caused by the alga Karenia brevis, which is found almost only in the Gulf, from Mexico to Florida. Blooms develop 10–40 miles offshore, away from man-made nutrient sources, and the FWC says there is no direct link between nutrient pollution and how often blooms start. Once a bloom moves inshore, it can also feed on nutrients from land, according to the FWC.
Is the Everglades being restored?
Yes, slowly. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is expected to cost $23.2 billion (in 2020 dollars) and take about 50 years. Its EAA Reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee is targeted for completion in 2029.
How much has sea level risen in Florida?
At Key West, the sea has risen about 0.73 feet (22 cm) per century since 1913, according to NOAA. Southeast Florida’s regional projection expects another 10–17 inches (25–43 cm) above 2000 levels by 2040.
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