As the marine biologist in the UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County office, I wanted to share some holiday-themed marine creatures that you might or might not have heard of. Christmas trees Let’s start with Christmas tree… Read More
Many people will be entertaining or being entertained by friends and/or family over the next couple of months. It is particularly challenging to try and reduce the amount of waste that we generate during holidays…. Read More
Unlike many people, I am always happy to see (or smell!) brown Sargassum seaweed washing up on local beaches. While we do not have kelp in Florida waters, Sargassum is similar in that it contains… Read More
For the third year, the Florida Microplastic Awareness Project promoted the month of September as Microplastic Awareness Month. Around the state, there were various educational activities designed to help teach people about the problems with… Read More
Many companies use dried, ripe berries from the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) to make an herbal extract. The extract is used to treat symptoms associated with enlarged prostate glands. In Florida, saw palmetto berries ripen… Read More
Readers may have seen images of large numbers of fish, marine mammals and sea turtles washing ashore on beaches in southwest Florida. While these images are disturbing, the animals’ deaths are not caused by alge… Read More
I first became the UF/IFAS Extension Sea Grant agent for Flagler and St. Johns Counties in 2001. At that time, I was told that a hard freeze a few years earlier had stunted many of… Read More
Identification: Beach vitex is a deciduous, woody vine that can reach 1 to 2 foot high and 12 feet wide with runners that can grow infinitely (some reports of up to 60 feet long!). The… Read More
Beachgoers may have recently noticed something glistening in the sand, especially in areas where the tide has left debris lines. If they have looked closely at the sand, they may have noticed tiny (less than… Read More
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 and World Oceans Day is June 8. In 2018, the theme for both days is the same: reducing plastic pollution. UF/IFAS Extension’s Florida Microplastic Awareness Project has… Read More
