The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of the five species that have been found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. With a carapace (top shell) length between 6-7 feet and weighing between 800-1000 pounds it is truly a magnificent creature. ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Back in the day when thousands of shrimp boats trawled the Gulf, Atlantic, and bays along the coast, fishing was a bit of a free-for-all. Shrimp populations were abundant, but catching unintended species (bycatch) was a fact of life. Up ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
On any given day, a walk down the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier over the Gulf of Mexico will typically reward the observant visitor with what, for most places, is a rare treat—a sea turtle sighting. Today, on a 30-minute stroll, we saw four ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
When people think of Florida or visiting the sights, what do they think of? For most people, it’s some combination of alligators, flamingos, manatees, and sea turtles with a sprinkling of Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, and the ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
If you've ever spent any time fishing, you know it's rare to catch exactly what you want on the first bite. Even more so, when large nets are pulled behind boats at sea, it's impossible to catch a single target species. These extraneous ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Summer Hours July 5-Aug 26: 9 am – 4 pm The IFAS Extension Bookstore will be closed Wednesday, June 29 through Monday, July 4 for inventory and the Independence Day holiday. Orders received after noon 6/28 will process and start shipping ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Sea turtle nesting season in Flagler and Volusia Counties spans from May 1 to October 31. As we start to see more nests marked off on the beach, your best bet will be that they belong to a loggerhead sea turtle. Florida is the epicenter of ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, , Wildlife
June 8 is World Ocean Day! The UN officially recognized World Ocean Day in 2008 to cultivate public interest in the protection of our oceans. I hope you celebrate by spending some time near the ocean and by learning more about the importance ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Camp, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Events, UF/IFAS Extension
I am very pleased to write this blog post as it feels like a coronation, but also as a follow-up to a previous one. If you have followed our blog, you might remember a post, back from September 30th, 2019, titled "How Sea Turtles Sparked ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Wildlife