Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From jellyfish in the St. Johns to red tide near Mayport, the summertime state of the river has everything to do with rising temperatures, from the current heat wave to the ongoing effect of climate change. We talk to marine biologist Dr. Quinton White about how the pressure on river flora and fauna rises with the mercury, leading to biological anomalies and even health warnings. White writes the regular River Life column on coastal ecology for the Florida Times-Union and recently noted the presence of saltwater jellyfish in freshwater parts of the river near Riverside. The state also issued its first two red tide warnings of the summer for the waters of the Fort George River and Fort George Inlet near Hecksher Drive.
Guest: Dr. Quinton White, biologist, founder of the Marine Science Research Institute at Jacksonville University
From jellyfish in the St. Johns to red tide near Mayport, the summertime state of the river has everything to do with rising temperatures, from the current heat wave to the ongoing effect of climate change. We talk to marine biologist Dr. Quinton White about how the pressure on river flora and fauna rises with the mercury, leading to biological anomalies and even health warnings. White writes the regular River Life column on coastal ecology for the Florida Times-Union and recently noted the presence of saltwater jellyfish in freshwater parts of the river near Riverside. The state also issued its first two red tide warnings of the summer for the waters of the Fort George River and Fort George Inlet near Hecksher Drive.
Guest: Dr. Quinton White, biologist, founder of the Marine Science Research Institute at Jacksonville University
