Our logo includes Florida icons: the American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), also known as the Caribbean flamingo, and an ambiguous reptile that could either be an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) or an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), which are both present in Florida.

But did you know that flamingos are not that common in Florida?

In fact, you are more likely to see them made of plastic on somebody’s front lawn than in flesh wading in a pond.

For a long time, the flamingo’s status in Florida was debated. For some, they were deemed non-native as it was thought that flocks of flamingos in Florida were vagrants from the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands, sometimes blown into Florida by tropical storms and hurricanes. Now, it seems like the consensus is that flamingos were native to Florida before being overhunted in the 1800s for their feathers and food. Based on this, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission now considers them a native species, regardless of the origin of the individuals that can be seen today in the State.

If you want to see flamingos, you better come to GeoHab in the Florida Keys in 2025: according to The Nature Conservancy, your best bet to find flamingos in all of Florida is in the Keys in the Spring and Summer! If you’re lucky, you might also see other great birds that wear shades of red or pink, such as roseate spoonbills, red knots, magnificent frigatebirds, and reddish egrets (left to right, below).

 For more information on flamingos and other birds in the Florida Keys, see these few links:

The American flamingo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Are flamingos native to Florida?, by The Nature Conservancy

The Iconic Florida Flamingo, by The Everglades Foundation

The Florida Keys Audubon Society

Alligators, on the other hand, are quite common.

Emblem of the University of Florida, gators (both reptiles and human alumni) are found all across the State. There is a saying that says that if there is fresh water, chances are that there is an alligator. The Florida record for the longest alligator is more than 4.3 meters long and for the heaviest one, over 1,000 pounds. Gators can most often be seen basking in the sun by ponds or on golf courses, but are also occasionally seen crossing the road, in the middle of forests, or swimming rapidly after your boat. That said, do not let this prevent you from attending GeoHab in the Florida Keys, as serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, and there is very little fresh water in Key West.

For more information on alligators in Florida, see these few links:

Alligator facts, by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

American alligator, by the National Wildlife Federation

Florida Gators, University of Florida

And finally, crocodiles, a threatened species found in South Florida.

Heavily hunted between 1930 and 1960, the American crocodiles’ numbers have increased from less than 300 to more than 2,000 adults since 1975. They live in brackish or saltwater areas and are therefore found in the Florida Keys. They are relatively shy and as such conflict with humans rarely occurs in Florida. When you visit Florida for GeoHab, I recommend you take some time to visit the Everglades National Park, where you might see the three icons from our logo!

 For more information on crocodiles in Florida, see these few links:

American crocodiles, by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

American crocodiles, by the National Park Service

Living with alligators and crocodiles, by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

You may have noticed a secondary logo on the Venues & Logistics page.

This logo includes one of the better-known and most photographed landmarks of Key West. The Southernmost Point Buoy indicates the southernmost point in the continental United States (at 24.5465° N), highlights Key West’s proximity to and historical relationship with Cuba, and nods at The Conch Republic, a micronation declared as a sarcastic secession of Key West from the United States in 1982. That said, as scientists, we like to be accurate, so it is important to note that the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic Park in Key West is actually 150 m farther south than the buoy, and that Cuba is actually 94 miles away from Key West, and not 90 miles away as stated on the buoy. If we can fit all attendees around the buoy, this is where we will take our traditional annual GeoHab picture in 2025!

 For more information on the Southernmost Point Buoy and the Conch Republic:

Southernmost Point Buoy, by 24° North Hotel

The Official Website of The Conch Republic

Wikipedia entry for the Southernmost Point Buoy 

Contact

GeoHab2025@GeoHab.org

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