A River of Grass: Alligators and the Everglades with Laura Brandt — WildFed Podcast #019

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In this episode:

Laura Brandt, PhD | Regional Scientist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Florida

Podcast discussion:

• Laura’s background

• Everglades restoration

• Attitudes towards Everglades restoration

• Miami was a swamp?

• How we’ve changed the distribution of species in the Everglades

• The River of Grass

• How Laura garnered an interest in working with crocodilians

• Crocodile and alligator habitat

• The issue of invasive reptiles and amphibians in Florida

• Where alligators and crocodiles overlap in habitat

• The ESA alligator recovery story

• Surprising gentleness in alligator — parenting and mating

• Ecosystem engineers

• The physiology of alligators when dying

• Alligator aggressiveness towards people

• Laura’s message for us on alligators

• The future of Florida’s ecosystem restoration

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WildFed Podcast is brought to you by:

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Episode Resources: 

• Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

• A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on Facebook

• Lake Okeechobee

• Pond Apple (Annona glabra)

• Saw Grass (Cladium jamaicense)

• Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge

• American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

• American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

• Study: The Behavior of Juvenile Alligator mississippiensis and Caiman crocodilus Exposed to Low Temperature

• Caiman

• Argentine Tegu (Salvator merianae)

• Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus)

• Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)

• The Central Everglades Planning Project

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Meet Laura Brandt

Laura has been a Wildlife Biologist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based in South Florida since 1999. Her current position is a multi-agency (USGS and FWS) position within the Science Applications program of FWS. She is responsible for working with scientists and managers to facilitate getting ecological information into the decision-making process. She began working on alligators and crocodiles in 1982 while at The Pennsylvania State University where she received a BS in biology with a minor in marine science. She has a Masters degree from Florida International University and a Doctorate from University of Florida.