THIS IS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IN FOCUS.

COMING UP.

FLU SEASON IS HERE.

AND HEALTH EXPERTS RECOMMEND INDIVIDUALS GET THEIR VACCINATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

NEW VARIANTS OF THE FLU.

VACCINES COULD BE THE BEST DEFENSE FOR VULNERABLE FLORIDIANS.

BRINGING SOLAR ENERGY TO SANIBEL.

THE CO-OP THAT'S INFORMING THE CITY AND RESIDENTS ABOUT THE WAY TO BRING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TO THE ISLAND COMMUNITY.

AND EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE UNKNOWN.

THE NEW PODCAST THAT LOOKS TO THE SKY AND ASK THE QUESTION, ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?

HELLO, I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AS THE CALENDAR SWITCHES FROM SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER, HEALTH EXPERTS ARE ADVISING PEOPLE THAT NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT.

THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ESTIMATES THAT AS MANY AS 135 MILLION DOSES OF FLU VACCINE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY DURING THE 2026 2027 FLU SEASON.

EXPERTS ARE WARNING OF NEW VARIANT STRAINS THAT COULD LEAD TO A STRONG SEASON.

BUT NEW VACCINES ARE ALSO ON THE MARKET TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.

>> DOCTOR JAMIE CAM ROSS, THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AT HEALTH CARE >> WHICH IS A NONPROFIT HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IN COLLIER COUNTY, JOINS US NOW.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

AND HAPPY TO JOIN IN.

>> ARE WE SEEING FLU CASES YET IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA?

AND IF SO, WHEN DO THEY PEAK?

>> HOW CAN IT WORK IS SEEING FLU CASES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

WHO TENDS TO PEAK EVERY SEASON BETWEEN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.

WE REALLY TEND TO BEGIN TO SEE CASES COMING IN.

SMALL NUMBERS IN SEPTEMBER.

BUT BY OCTOBER, THAT'S WHEN WE THE FOOTPRINT IN LOGIC.

>> WHAT IS THE BEST LINE OF DEFENSE FROM FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR IN PREVENTING FLU?

>> IMPLEMENTING FLU, I WOULD RECOMMEND THE FLU VACCINE AS ONE OF THE FIRST LINES OF DEFENSE FOR ANYONE, 6 MONTHS OF AGE AND OLDER.

AND SECONDARILY, I THINK IF WE CAN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE PROTECT OURSELVES AND THOSE AROUND US BY SOME BASIC HYGIENE TECHNIQUES.

THE FIRST AND FOREMOST AS HAND WASHING THAT WE ARE COGNIZANT OF WHERE WE'RE TOUCHING.

AND WHEN WE'RE TOUCHING OPENING THE DOOR TO A BUILDING, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERYONE'S HANDS TOUCH AS THAT.

SO WASHING OUR HANDS FREQUENTLY.

ALSO HOW WE COP, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE AS SOME OF US GREW UP, WE LEARN TO COUGH IN OUR HANDS.

NOW WE'RE TOP COFFIN TO THE ELBOW BECAUSE YOU ARE CONTAINING THE VIRUS AND THOSE HANDS DON'T TOUCH COMMON SURFACES.

FOR EXAMPLE.

SO HOWIE, CONDUCT OURSELVES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND AMONGST THOSE THAT WE SPEND OUR TIME.

AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A ARE IN A VACCINE FOR THOSE.

>> OVER THE AGE OF 50, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?

>> YES, THE NEW MRNA VACCINE MANUFACTURED BY MODERNA NOW COLD AND FLU.

SIVA.

IS IT'S GOT IT.

RECOMBINANT TECHNOLOGY THAT IS UNIQUE UNLIKE WHAT WE COMMONLY SEE WITH THE FLU VACCINES THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED IN OUR LIFETIMES, THOSE USUALLY REQUIRE AND ANTIGEN MEANING A PIECE OF AN INACTIVATED OR DEAD VIRUS.

2 HELP TO CREATE THE NEW VACCINE, EVEN WITH THE VACCINE CALLED FLU BUCK, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T HAVE THE VIRUS ITSELF, IT'S STILL USES THE PROTEINS FROM THE VIRUS THE INCLUDES SIVA, THIS RECOMBINANT M RNA, TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT USE THE FLU VIRUS ITSELF.

WHAT IT DOES IS THAT IT'S CONSIDERED A COACH THAT YOU'RE GETTING IS A VACCINE THAT COACH OF A VACCINE.

GETS INJECTED INTO OUR BODIES AND IT INSTRUCTS I'M IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT WHEN WE SEE THE FLU VIRUS, IT WILL MANUFACTURE MIMIC A SMALL AMOUNT OF THAT VIRUS IS NOT THE VIRUS.

AND BODIES BEGIN TO MOUNT AN IMMUNE RESPONSE.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS VACCINE IS THAT IT ALLOWS US TO CREATE OUR OWN IN MEDIUMS SYSTEM UNIVERSE WITHIN OURSELVES TO ANTICIPATE THE VIRUS AND TO BETTER FIGHT IT.

WHAT STUDIED SHOW WITH A 70,000 OR SO PATIENTS THAT IT WAS TESTED ON THAT IT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS NEED VERSUS YOU TO BUILD OUR OWN SYSTEM IN PREPARATION.

IT GIVES US A GREATER CHANCE OF FIGHTING THAT VIRUS.

THE FOLKS OF MODERNA SAY THAT'S ON THE ORDER OF 25 26% MORE EFFECTIVENESS.

THE OTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MRNA VACCINE, LIKE WITH THE OTHER VACCINES THAT I SAID WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT VIRUS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

SCIENTISTS MEET IN FEBRUARY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND SAY WHAT DID AUSTRALIA C AND THEY THEN ARE RECOMMENDING TO US IN THE NORTH.

THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO MANUFACTURE.

NEW PROVED THAT IN YOUR FLU VACCINE WITH THE AMANI VIRUS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

WE OUR OWN IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE DEVELOPED AND WE ARE COACHING OURSELVES TO IT.

IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE HISTORY OF SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND IT REQUIRES JUST US BUILDING OUR SECURITY SYSTEMS.

>> AND WHY IS IT REALLY TARGETED FOR PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 50?

>> I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE WE GENERALLY ROLLOUT HEALTH CARE IN THIS NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD.

WE LOOK AT THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THE MOST VULNERABLE FOR FLU ARE THOSE OVER 50, PARTICULARLY OVER 65.

BUT THOSE OVER 50, I IMAGINE IN THE FUTURE THIS WILL BE DIFFERENT AS WE TEST IT OUT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

DOCTOR, YOU'VE BEEN SO HELPFUL.

THANK >> FOR MORE TIPS AND STORIES ON HOW TO STAY HEALTHY THROUGH THE FLU SEASON.

>> MAKE SURE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE WGCU DOT ORG.

COMING UP, HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE SUN.

THE COMMUNITY EFFORT PUSHING TO INCREASE SOLAR POWER ON SANIBEL TO GENERATE A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCE FOR THE ISLAND.

A SOLAR REVOLUTION IS BEGINNING ON SANIBEL WHERE RESIDENTS AND THE CITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO SPEARHEAD THE 2026 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SOLAR CO-OP.

IT'S A GROUP LED BY SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS, WHICH IS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT THAT INFORMS PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT THE PROS AND THE CONS OF SOLAR ENERGY WGCUS EMMA RODRIGUEZ HAS MORE.

>> IT'S QUITE LITERALLY IN FLORIDA'S MONIKER.

WE ARE IN FACT, THE SUNSHINE STATE.

BUT WE'RE ALSO THE HURRICANE STATE, WHICH SANIBEL KNOWS ALL TOO WELL.

>> RESILIENCE FOR US IS LOOKING AT THE PRE AND POST HOW WE CAN KEEP ENERGY SOURCE AND HAVE ELECTRICITY WHEN THE GRID MAY BE DOWN OR IN BLUE SKIES, WE CAN HAVE ENERGY THAT IS NOT FROM THE GRID.

SO HAVING SOLAR HERE JUST MAKES IT MORE CONSISTENT.

THAT WAS ASHLEY PAGE OR THE CITY'S CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER >> SHE AND HER TEAM HAVE PARTNERED WITH NONPROFIT SOLAR, UNITED NEIGHBORS OR SON TO BRING THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SOLAR CO-OP TO LIFE.

THE CO-OPS HISTORY ON THE ISLAND ISN'T ALL RECENT RESIDENT BOB MOORE OR SOLAR?

BOB HAS HIS KIDS CALL HIM PUSH JUST STARTED IN 2022.

HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY SHIFTED THE ISLAND'S PRIORITIES, BUT MORE AGREES NOW IS AS GOOD OF A TIME AS EVER TO BRING IT BACK.

THE CHIEF REASON BEING FINANCIAL.

>> IF I DO THE MATH ON HOW MUCH OUR ELECTRIC BILL WAS AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NO ELECTRIC BILL NOW OTHER THAN THE $24 MONTHLY CONNECTION FEE.

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SPENT PUT SOLAR.

OUR HOUSE HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETELY PAID FOR 8 YEARS LATER.

AND SO THAT MEANS FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS I HAVE FREE ELECTRICITY.

>> MORE ADDED THAT WHILE IS BILL AS A FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT CUSTOMER IS A TINY PERCENTAGE OF WHAT IT WOULD BE OTHERWISE HIS SOLAR BECAUSE BATTERIES WHICH KEEPS THE SYSTEM RUNNING WHEN FP L'S ENERGY GRID IS DOWN AFTER STORMS.

ANOTHER BIG DEAL FOR SOLAR USERS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHRINK THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINTS.

>> EVERYBODY, I THINK ESPECIALLY IN THE 7 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SHOULD HAVE SOLAR AS PART OF THEIR HOUSE.

>> THIS MEANS A LOT TO RESIDENT JIM COLOMBO, WHO VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CLINIC FOR THE REHABILITATION OF WILDLIFE ON THE ISLAND.

>> 5 OF THEM ARE.

NEW ORLEANS.

IS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST AFTER IAN.

>> EVEN THOUGH HE LOST A FEW PANELS DURING HURRICANE IAN, HE STILL SAYS IT'S MORE THAN WORTH IT.

>> IF WE CAN USE SOLAR TOO, KEEP OUR POWER PLANTS AND PRODUCING A LOT OF POWER.

WE CAN JUST PRODUCED A POWER SHELVES AND THAT WOULD REALLY CALL GOT DOWN ON.

OAKS STACK EMISSIONS AND, YOU KNOW, POLLUTION.

>> WHILE THE PROS OF SOLAR ARE WRITTEN ON THE WALL, DRAWBACK STILL EXIST.

SOME HOMEOWNERS MAY NOT FIND THE UPFRONT COST OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE WORTH IT.

AND OTHERS WORRY ABOUT POTENTIALLY BEING DROPPED BY THEIR INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHICH WAS AN ISSUE DURING THE 2022.

CO-OP.

BUT MOORE SAYS THE EASIEST WAY TO KNOW IF SOLAR IS THE WAY FOR YOU IS JOINED THE CO-OP AND ASK QUESTIONS.

>> WHEN YOU WORK WITH SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS YOU HAVE A TRUSTED NONPROFIT WHO HAS NO FINANCIAL STAKE IN THE EFFORT.

SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE EDUCATION SO THAT YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE INS AND OUTS OF AN INVESTMENT LIKE THIS.

THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE SORT OF UNBIASED INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR EVALUATING PROPOSALS FROM DIFFERENT INSTALLERS THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SOME RESEARCH INTO THE BACKGROUND OF INSTALLER.

>> FOR WGCU NEWS, I'M EMMA RODRIGUEZ ON SANIBEL ISLAND.

>> FOR YEARS, A RADIO SIGNALS HAVE BEEN EMANATING FROM THE DEEP RECESSES IN SPACE.

BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME, ASTROPHYSICIST HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LINK ONE OF THOSE SOUNDS TO EXOPLANET 64 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH.

ACCORDING TO LIVE SCIENCE, THE SOUNDS ARE NOT BELIEVED TO BE OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL ORIGIN, BUT INSTEAD ARE PRODUCED NATURALLY FROM A GAS GIANT ABOUT THE SIZE OF JUPITER OVER 370 TRILLION MILES AWAY.

WGCUS TEDDY BYRNE HAS MORE ON A NEW SPACE MINDED PODCAST.

THAT CHRONICLES MAN'S SEARCH FOR THE UNKNOWN IN OUR COSMOS.

>> SO I'M JOINED BY BRENDAN BYRNE, CENTRAL FLORIDA, PUBLIC MEDIA ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR AND HOST OF THE NEW PODCAST.

WHEN WE FIND THEM.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME, TONY.

APPRECIATE THE INVITE.

SO YOU BECOME OUR GO-TO SOURCE WHEN IT COMES TO EVERYTHING HAPPENING ON THE SPACE COAST.

BUT WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START A PODCAST THAT NOW EXPANDS THE HORIZONS OF THE UNIVERSE?

>> YEAH.

SO WE HAVE A A WEEKLY PODCAST CALLED ARE WE THERE YET?

AND ON THIS PODCAST, WE TALKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT OUR SEARCH FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE RIGHT?

AND IN THE CEO OF THE SETI INSTITUTE.

THIS IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S HELPING COORDINATE THOSE EFFORTS AND AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THIS EVER WERE TO HAPPEN IS AS A REPORTER, HOW WOULD I COVER THIS?

AND I ASKED BILL DIAMOND, WHAT WITH A PLAN B?

AND HE SAID, WELL, WE HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AND SO I FIGURED MY EDITOR WOULD CERTAINLY SENDING THAT PRESS CONFERENCE.

BUT THEN WHAT WOULD I DO NEXT AND TELLING THAT STORY?

AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THIS THIS KIND OF PATH TOOK.

NEWS IS FIGURING OUT WHAT WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY AFTER THAT PRESS CONFERENCE AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STORIES THAT I WOULD TELL AND YEAH, I LEARNED WERE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO FINDING THAT ANSWER BUT WE'RE NOT SURE HOW WE ARE GOING TO REACT WHEN THAT DAY DOES COME.

>> WELL, THEN JUST TO GO TO BAT IT.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HUMANS ARE EVEN READY AND PREPARED FOR ANY POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER WITH ANY EXTRATERRESTRIAL ACTIVITY?

>> THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

AND ONE THAT WE TRIED TO ANSWER WITH THIS PODCAST THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS HUMANS HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR CENTURIES.

YOU KNOW, IT DATES BACK TO SOCRATES AND PLATO, YOU KNOW, PONDERED WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FIND THAT ANSWER.

I DON'T THINK WE KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THAT DOES FINAL, THAT THAT THAT DATE DOES FINALLY COME.

BUT WE CAN KIND OF MAKE SOME SOME, YOU KNOW, GUESSES AS TO HOW IT MAY GO IN.

IT DEPENDS IS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS.

SOME PEOPLE MAY BE READY FOR.

SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT IT TO BE TRUE.

AND AND OTHER PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE ITS TRUST IN SCIENCE AND JOURNALISM ARE ON THE DECLINE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE COVER IN THIS PODCAST.

AS YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU EVEN TELL PEOPLE SOMETHING THAT IS SO PROFOUND?

AND SO PARDON UPON OUT OF THIS WORLD THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO EVEN BELIEVE IT.

AND THAT IS WHAT THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF COMMUNICATION SCHOLARS ARE THINKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SO LONG AND I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE BUT RESPOND AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE READY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WILL KNOW WHEN IT COMES.

>> HOW DOES THE WORLD CHANGE IF ANYTHING IS CONFIRMED?

MAYBE NOT.

YOU KNOW, INTELLIGENT LIFE.

BUT EVEN JUST, YOU KNOW, MICRO BEINGS OR ANYTHING ELSE ON MARS THAT CAN PROVE LIFE EXIST OUTSIDE OF EARTH.

THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS.

YOU CAN LOOK AT IT.

YOU KNOW.

>> EXISTENTIALLY IT MEANS THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE AND WE ARE NOT UNIQUE.

AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS LIKE US OUT THERE AND THAT CAN THAT CAN BE TERRIFYING.

THAT COULD BE JOYOUS.

A LOT OF THE SCIENTISTS I TALKED TO, THOUGH, HOPE THAT THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE WE REALIZE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY OCCUPANTS OF OF THE COSMOS AND WHICH MEANS WE EARTH RACE.

WE ARE.

WE ARE ALL EARTHLINGS ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL BRING US CLOSER TOGETHER AS ONE PLANET AND AS OPPOSED TO FACTIONS OF OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE WILL BRING US TOGETHER AND SAY, YEAH, WE'RE NOT UNIQUE, BUT WE ARE ALL THE SAME HERE ON OUR PLANET.

WE SHOULD ACT THAT WAY.

>> I'LL JUST SOUNDS LIKE AN AMAZING TOPIC.

I CAN'T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ON WHEN WE FIND THEM AVAILABLE EVERY WEDNESDAY.

I BELIEVE.

SO.

BRANDON BURN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> BE SURE TO TUNE INTO WHEN WE FIND THEM AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS, INCLUDING THE NPR APP WITH NEW EPISODES ARE ARRIVING EACH WEDNESDAY OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

WE'VE BEEN BRINGING YOU DISPATCHES HAS A PREVIEW OF WGCUS LATEST DOCUMENTARY KIMBERLY'S REFUND UNDERWATER LIVING LABORATORY.

IT PREMIERS OCTOBER 1ST AT 08:00PM RIGHT HERE ON WGCU TV THE UNDERWATER CLASSROOM INCLUDES STUDENTS FROM ALL DISCIPLINES ACROSS FGCU, INCLUDING INCORPORATING ART FROM THE BOWERS SCHOOL OF ART AND MUSIC.

WGCUS PAM JAMES HAS MORE.

>> IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, 7 AND A HALF MILES DUE WEST OF BONITA BEACH AND 30 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE GROWS.

AN ARTIFICIAL REEF COMPLEX CREATED BY THE WATER SCHOOL, FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY.

THE GOAL FOR ANY ARTIFICIAL REEF IS TO CREATE A HABITAT TO DRAW FISH TO AN AREA.

THE DESIGN OF KIMBERLY'S REEF WITH ITS 18 CEMENT CULVERT IS MEANT TO DO JUST THAT WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A HOST OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIMENTATION ONE DEPARTMENT FGCU IS EXPERIMENTING WITH WAYS TO MAKE THE INSTALLATION APPEAL TO A WIDE RANGE OF CREATURES.

BUT USING CERAMICS AND 3 D ART.

THE IDEA WITH THIS PROJECT IS TO ENHANCED THOSE CULVERTS.

>> SO THE CEMENT IS JUST A VERY FLAT PLAINS SURFACE.

BUT THESE ORGANISMS, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WE'LL SETTLE ON THE SKELETONS OF PAST CORALS AND IT'S THIS HUGE ORGANISM, THIS ECOSYSTEM THAT GROWS ON TOP OF ITSELF.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO MIMIC NATURE BY CREATING THE STRUCTURES THAT WILL GO ON TOP OF THAT AND PROVIDE THAT COMPLEXITY THAT WILL BE ATTRACTIVE TO A GREATER DEGREE OF BIODIVERSITY.

>> AND I KNOW IN CLAY THE WAY I DO IT WAS ABLE TO IMAGINE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT IT COULD DO THAT.

SO WE GOT TO THINKING ABOUT OKAY, WE CAN MAKE THESE THINGS THAT WILL GO ON THIS EXTERIOR QUARTER THAT COVERT WE CAN MAKE THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO INSIDE THE UPRIGHT CULVERTS THAT WILL CREATE GROUND STRUCTURE.

AND THEN THERE'S THE VERY ATTRACTIVE TOP FLAT SURFACE OF THE THE LINE DOWN COVERT WHERE OUR CALLER CRAZIER SCULPTURES CAN GO.

>> SO THE IDEA WITH THIS PROJECT WAS NOT TO CREATE SOME.

BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURE THAT WAS MEANT TO BE LOOKED AT, RIGHT?

IT'S MEANT TO HELP THESE ORGANISMS TAKE HOLD AND GROW AND FLOURISH.

PART OF THE INITIAL SCIENTIFIC PROCESS WAS DETERMINING WHAT MATERIAL WOULD BE MOST DURABLE WHEN CRAFTING STRUCTURES FOR UNDER THE WATER.

>> SO WE CHOSE TO USE 2 DIFFERENT CLAY BODIES OR SOMEWHERE, WHICH IS A LOWER TEMPERATURE.

CLAY, IT'S QUITE HARD, BUT STILL RELATIVELY POROUS.

AND SOMEWHAT LESS DURABLE AS A RESULT, THE HIGHER TEMPERATURE CLAY IS THE STONEWARE AND THAT IS FIRED UP TO THE POINT WHERE THE CLAY BODY SORT OF FULLY CLASSIFIES IT AS A GLASSY MATRIX.

VERY HARD, VERY DURABLE.

>> SCIENTISTS FROM THE WATER SCHOOL ASK ME SEE IN TRISHA TO CREATE TILES TO SEE WHAT LIFE ATTACHES TO VARIOUS SURFACES.

>> IT'S A WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL.

FOR GROWTH IN ANY PARTICULAR AREA.

SO WE MADE 4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF CERAMIC TILES ALL IN THE SAME SIZE.

BUT WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF STRUCTURAL ADDITION THAT INTRODUCTION OF A MORE TEXTURED MORE COMPLEX SURFACE.

THOSE WERE JUST PULLED UP AND ARE STARTING TO BE EXAMINED FOR WHAT EXACTLY IS GROWING ON THERE.

BUT YOU CAN SEE GROWTH VERY, VERY, VERY QUICKLY ON THE MOST TEXTURE TILES, THEY LIKE THE TEXTURE.

THEY LIKE THE ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE.

>> THE NEXT STEP FOR THE OUR TEAM WAS EXTREME ING A VARIETY OF SHAPES SIZES AND TEXTURES OUT OF CLAY.

SO WE'RE STARTING OUT.

>> WITH THE EASIEST THINGS TO INSTALL THESE.

I'M SORT OF MULTIPLE STRUCTURES THAT WE PUT TOGETHER TO GO ON THE INSIDE OF THE FACE UP COVERT.

>> BUT WE ARE HOPING TO SEE SEDENTARY ORGANISMS THAT WOULD HERE TO THE SURFACE OF THE CLAY LIKE CORALS, LIKE OYSTERS AND THOSE KINDS OF ORGANISMS.

SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE DESIGNED THESE LIKE THE CLAY IS POROUS.

SO IT WILL HELP CORAL LARVAE.

TAKE HOLD AND SETTLE.

BUT THEN WE'VE ALSO CREATED THEM TO BE INTERESTING STRUCTURES FOR FISH.

SO THERE ARE PLACES TO HIDE PLACES TO SWIM THROUGH, TO ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY.

>> THE TABLES FULL OF SCULPTURES WILL SLOWLY BE ADDED TO EACH CULVERT MAY SEE IN TRISHA GOT TO SEE THEIR FIRST STRUCTURES DEPLOYED.

>> THESE OBJECTS ARE FOR SCIENTIFIC LOTTERY.

SO WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED EVERY SINGLE PIECE.

WE HAVE TAGGED THEM.

ALL WILL BE CREATING A WHOLE CATALOG.

SO THAT AS THE MONITORING HAPPENS OVER TIME, YOU CAN SAY, OH, MY GOODNESS NUMBER, 35 IS REALLY GROWING LIKE CRAZY.

YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT?

>> AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, IN A COUPLE YEARS THE STRUCTURES WILL BE COMPLETELY COVERED OVER AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THEM AT ALL.

AND WE WILL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OUR GOAL AND THAT.

>> AND FROM A C A PROJECT LIKE THIS IS A PERFECT FIT FOR A STUDENT WITH A DOUBLE MAJOR IN BIOLOGY AND ART.

>> MY DREAM IS THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO STUDY THE ORGANISMS THAT HAVE SETTLED ON THESE ART WORKS THAT WE'VE CREATED TOGETHER AND GET TO REALLY SEE THE IMPACT OF ARTWORK.

WHAT ART HELPS TO DO IS TO FACILITATE ITS LIKE A BRIDGE BETWEEN SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC.

SO IT PACKAGES SCIENCE IN A WAY THAT'S EASY FOR PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND ENCOURAGES THEM 2 TO CARE ABOUT THESE THINGS AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT THE HELP SUPPORT.

SO.

>> WGCU PUBLIC MEDIA'S LATEST DOCUMENTARY KIMBERLY'S REEF, AN UNDERWATER LIVING LABORATORY CHRONICLES THE ORIGINS OF EFFORTS BEING MADE ON THIS UNDERWATER CLASSROOM FOR FGCU.

IT PREMIERES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST AT 08:00PM ON WTC TV.

AND COMING UP AFTER THE BREAK, KEEPING THE CROAKING GOING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENTHUSIAST GO WAIST DEEP IN SWAMP WATERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE SOUTH FLORIDA COULD BE CONSIDERED A FROG PARADISE, ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, OUR AREA IS HOME TO 14 NATIVE SPECIES ON A WALK THROUGH THE 6 MILE CYPRESS LOOP RESERVE WGCU KATE CRONIN EXPLORED THE ECOSYSTEM THAT HOUSES THESE IN AMPHIBIANS AND THE THREATS TO THEIR FUTURE.

>> HERE.

RINGGOLD AND HER PARTNER CARRIED ILL OR WADING THROUGH WAIST DEEP WATER ALL IN AN EFFORT TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH PRODUCTS AT LOCK AT THE 6 MILE CYPRESS LOOP RESERVE RINGGOLD IS USING THE EXPERIENCE AS PART OF HER STUDIES IN HERPETOLOGIST U.S.

>> I WAIT EVERY YEAR FOR THE WHAT LOOKS TO BE I CAME TO MY FIRST ONE LIKE MAYBE 3 YEARS AGO AND THE FIRST TIME I CAME I WAS IN FELL IN LOVE WITH SO BEAUTIFUL.

IT WAS AMAZING.

THE PROFESSIONAL HERPETOLOGIST TO RICK BAUER IS LEADING THIS CREW INTO THE SWAMP.

>> AND THIS PART OF FLORIDA AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

WE HAVE ABOUT 24 SPECIES OF FROGS.

SO IT'S ONE OF THE HOTSPOTS OF OVERALL AND FOR BN BIODIVERSITY.

>> CROAKING OF FROGS IS COMMON THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

THERES THE SNORTING PIG FROM IT.

>> THE SHEEP LIKE LEADING OF THE OUT TOES.

>> OR THE LINK AL BELL FROM THE GREEN TREE.

FROG.

DESPITE THEIR SOMETIMES STARTLING CALLS, POWER EXPLAINS WHY FROGS ARE IN A GIRL TO WETLANDS WHEN THERE ARE WAYS THAT THEY HELP THE ENVIRONMENT IS JUST THROUGH A LOT OF THE CONTROL OF A LOT OF OUR INSECT POPULATIONS.

>> SO FROGS WILL A LOT OF INSECTS SAYING CONNECTS KIND OF SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT FOOD SOURCE FOR A LOT OF OUR OTHER SPECIES.

SO THEY BOTH EAT N B, EEN.

>> BUT HABITAT DESTRUCTION AND POLLUTION ARE THREATENING FROG POPULATIONS, EVEN DANGERS LOOM FROM THE INVASIVE AMPHIBIAN SPECIES.

>> CUBAN TREE FROG.

IS THERE AN INTRODUCED SPECIES IN FLORIDA?

THEY'RE NOT ONLY EXOTIC IN THIS AREA, BUT THEY'RE INVASIVE AS WELL.

SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY PREY ON OUR NATIVE TREE FROG SPECIES BECAUSE THEY'RE A LOT LARGER IN SIZE.

>> FROG HEALTH IS ALSO A CONCERN.

A DESTRUCTIVE PATH AGENDA SPREADING THAT INFECTS THE BODY AND SKIN KNOWN AS THE KIT TREND FUNGUS.

FROGS USED THEIR THIN DELICATE SKIN TO BREATHE AND ABSORB WATER.

SO WHEN A FUNGUS ATTACKS THE SKIN STRUCTURE, IT CAN BE FATAL.

ACCORDING TO BAUER, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THE 6TH MASS EXTINCTION EVENT ON RECORD.

>> IT'S CAUSING A MASS AND FABIAN DECLINE ACROSS THE ENTIRE WORLD FOUND ON EVERY CONTINENT ON THE PLANET.

AND WE'RE ASKED I OFTEN AMPHIBIANS BECAUSE OF >> THIS DISEASE.

BUT OUR SAYS NOT TO LOSE HOPE.

WILDLIFE EXPERTS ARE DEVELOPING A VACCINE TO PROTECT FROM THE KITTREDGE FUNGUS.

>> THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF EXCITING WORK GOING ON WITH DISEASE PREVENTION AS WELL.

AND SCIENTISTS ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO EITHER TREAT CATCHER IT OR PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

>> AND EVENTS LIKE THE WET WALK HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE SUCH AS SARASOTA STUDENT CARRIED ILL ON THE IMPORTANCE.

FROGS BRING TO THE LOCAL ECOSYSTEM.

>> THAT IS REALLY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL AND THAT WE SHOULD APPRECIATE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE IN TROUBLE AND THAT WE SHOULD APPRECIATE EVERY MOMENT THAT WEEKEND WITH THEM.

>> THE WGCU NEWS >> WITH VIDEOGRAPHY BY AMANDA INSCORE WHITTAMORE >> I'M KATE CRONIN.

>> ON OUR NEXT PROGRAM MAINTAINING A PLATFORM FOR INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS.

WE PREVIEW THE UPCOMING NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AND HOW THE EVENT BUILDS ON THE THRIVING ART COMMUNITY THAT'S BREWING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD A WGCU DOT ORG, WHERE YOU'LL FIND ALL OF OUR STORIES.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN RIGHT HERE ON SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IN FOCUS.