Marine and freshwater fish support important angling industries that provide substantial benefit to local economies. Although catch and release – both voluntary and mandatory – aims to conserve fish stocks, its effectiveness is dependent on the survival and… Read More
Being neutrally buoyant, or weightless in the water, allows fish to minimize the energy expenditure required to stay at a particular depth to feed, hide, reproduce or migrate. For a fish to be buoyant, it must displace an… Read More
BY Ralph E. Mitchell Beyond the plants found in our tropical/subtropical landscapes, another enjoyable aspect of this environment is the wildlife it attracts. Birds often highlight this facet of wildlife including the small living jewels we call hummingbirds. … Read More
Did you know, there are over 800 fish species in the world that can purposefully make sounds? Fish make sounds for many reasons, including during feeding, defending or advertising territory, finding mates, courtship and spawning. Sound is important… Read More
Eyes on Seagrass In Charlotte County, local Eyes on Seagrass volunteers have completed their seagrass surveys in upper Charlotte Harbor. This was the first year of our new citizen science survey, which involved trained volunteers collecting seagrass and… Read More
Authors: Holly Abeels, UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant Extension; Gabby Barbarite, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, FL Atlantic University; Betty Staugler, UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant Extension; L Scott Jackson, UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant Extension Recent news headlines report another emergence… Read More
Bivalves are mollusks that have a two-part hinged shell which hides the soft-bodied animal inside. Clams, oysters, scallops and mussels are all considered bivalves. Let’s take a closer look at a couple. Bay Scallop Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians)… Read More
With all the bad press about algae, we often forget that it really can be beneficial. In fact, algae are responsible for much of the air we breathe, and they form the base of the food web upon… Read More
Surface waters provide a huge, but nearly featureless place for fish to live. In bottom waters there’s vegetation like seagrass and mangrove roots, there’s rock outcrops, oyster reefs, docks and pilings, and even artificial reefs. But up at… Read More
Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis is one of five snook species found in Florida and the only one we see here in southwest Florida. Where they live Snook occur from South Carolina to Brazil, including Florida to Texas along… Read More
