It has been 8 months since Hurricane Ian, which came with an elevated number of cases of Vibrio vulnificus, or “flesh eating bacteria”, in Lee and Collier Counties. A new study from Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, Research, SFYL Hot Topic, Water
Being a marine biologist, I’ve always looked at the oceans and estuaries from the water – in, on, under – my marine biology world has been one of close contact, until last year. Last year is when I started working with a small group of ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Research, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
With red tide in southwest Florida giving us a reprieve, it’s a good time to think about the future. Red tides have occurred in Florida 57 of the last 66 years, so we should expect future events. But a red tide shouldn't mean we have to avoid ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, Research, UF/IFAS Extension, WaterSawfish are modified rays with a shark-like body. Sawfish get their name from their “saws”, which are used for defense and to locate, stun, and kill prey; mostly fish. The earliest sawfish arose about 200 million years ago. These sawfish ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, ResearchIt’s cownose ray mating season. It’s also the time of year when I’m frequently asked “what kind of fish is that swimming at the surface with two fins out of the water?” That fish is a female cownose ray and if one looks carefully ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, ResearchFisheries management is complicated as many anglers know. Since scientist have no way of counting all of the fish in the Gulf, or in a given estuary, they have to do stock assessments based on their best estimate of how many fish are removed ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, ResearchGood anglers know that to catch fish you must think like a fish; know where they’re hanging and what they’re eating. Although redfish, snook, and many other predator fish are opportunistic in their feeding habits, they do key into specific ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, ResearchNOAA just released their findings for a study where they evaluated the economics of independent marine recreational fishing bait and tackle retail stores. The results are in 2013 dollars and are reported for the U.S. and by federal fishery ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, ResearchMost anglers understand we have two snook closures annually; each for very different reasons. The December through February closure protects snook during the cold weather and the May to September closure protects spawning snook. The size ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Research