This floating wetland plant is known as Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes). Overall diameter is about 6 inches across per bundle. Light green coloration and shaped like a thicker rubbery lettuce with visible reproductive system in center of plant.
Reference: https://fullserviceaquatics.com/aquatic-plants/water-lettuce-is-a-real-pistia/
Location: USF Riverfront Park, 6550 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33617, USA
Habitat: Water lettuce is common in rivers, lakes, and ponds.
Distribution: Water lettuce is found from New York to Florida. In South America, and even in Africa where it happens to be one of the hippo's most favorite foods.
American Alligator measuring about 6 feet in total length.
Long slender body, about the size of a young adult, and had a dark charcoal coloration. No reproductive structures present.
All American alligators have the defining characteristic of a creamy colored underbelly.
Reference:
https://defenders.org/american-alligator/basic-
Location: Riverfront Park, 6550 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33617, USA
Habitat: Alligators thrive in freshwater. Ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, and of course swamps.
Distribution: American alligators can be found in Florida, southern Texas, Louisiana and parts of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.
This insect, a millipede, was observed on a decay log near damp, shaded soil. It is an arthropod which is part of the ecdysoza group under the protostomes clade. They are a part of the Kingdom Animalia. It was observed at 9:49 AM on 03/06/19. It was sunny, 49 degrees F, and 40% humidity.
Shape: Long and skinny with countless legs and two antenna.
Size: ~3-4 cm long
Coloration: dark and light brown
Millipedes live is moist, dark habitats where there is readily access to decaying materials as food. Commonly they are food in rotting logs or under rocks. They can be found worldwide and across most of the US.
Their most identifying characteristic are their body segments and legs. Millipedes bodies can be seen to be divided into segments. Besides the first three segments, each after until the end of the body contain two pairs of legs. This is unlike centipedes which only have one pair of legs per segment. In this observation two pairs of legs can be seen per segment of the insect and therefore can be identified as a millipede. https://bugguide.net/node/view/37
Kingdom Plantae. Angiosperm. Purple flower on tall bush. Medium sized purple flowers that had white towards the center. Anther, stamen, etc are easily visible. Located near the kayaking dock at Riverfront park, Saturday March 2, around 4pm. I used the Florida Plant Atlas to identify the species. This website provided location, description, and other characteristics. http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/
Florida has over 4,700 species of native or naturalized plants.
huge amount of small green leaves in small bunches floating on the water with. Doesn't have true roots.