Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

Intensity and innovation earn UF/IFAS scientist Early Career Fellow honor by Ecological Society of America

by Lourdes Mederos
April 15, 2026

Whether he’s submitting daily bird sightings on a citizen science website without missing a beat or racing the clock during a 24-hour biodiversity blitz, University of Florida scientist Corey Callaghan brings a distinct intensity to both ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Apps, BioBlitz, Biology, Citizen Science, Corey Callaghan, Crowdsource, Datasets, DeLuca Preserve, Early Career Fellow, EBird, Ecological Society Of America (ESA), Ecology, Extension, Global Change, Human-dominated Landscapes, Human-driven Environmental Change, INaturalist, Informatics, Observe Biodiversity, Peer-reviewed Publications, Policy, Quantitative Ecology, Research, Spatial Scales, Theory

From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature

by Lourdes Mederos
April 13, 2026

It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged and can’t help but snap a ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Beneficial Wildlife, BioBlitz, Brittany Mason, Changes, Changes In Ecosystems, Changes In Environment, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Month, Coexistence With Wildlife, Community, Corey Callaghan, Crowdsource, Curiousity, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, EBird, Environmental Shifts, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Global Ecology, Habitat, Habitat Removal, Habitat Restoration, INaturalist, Learning, Observations, Seasonal Changes, Smartphone, Species Distributions, Urbanization, Water Quality, Wildlife, Wildlife Monitoring

Study uses AI, citizen science to show perceptions of access to Broward County parks

by Lourdes Mederos
April 9, 2026

A new study from the University of Florida paired artificial intelligence and citizen science to measure whether parks in Broward County provide access and the same experiences across communities. Rather than focusing solely on where ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: #AI, Artificial Intelligence, Broward County Parks And Recreation, Citiizen Science, Dog Parks, Dog-friendly Parks, Green Space, Haojie Cao, Homogeneous Neighborhoods, Jiangxiao Qiu, Kid-friendly, Lakefront Park, Make America Beaur, Make America Beautiful Again Commission’s Mission, Parks, Playgrounds, Pool, Recreational, Reviews, Splash Pads, Urban Green Space, Urban Parks, Walking Paths

Be an invader detector: UF scientists call on public to help track elusive Asian Swamp Eels

by Lourdes Mederos
April 7, 2026

University of Florida researchers are urging South Floridians to help stop the spread of an invasive fish now secretly moving through canals, marshes and wetlands across the region’s most vulnerable environments. Visitors, residents, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, Asian Swamp Eel, Canals, Citizen Science Month, Conservation, CROC Docs, Fish, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank J. Mazzotti, Frank Mazzotti, Invasive Species, IVEGOT1 Mobile App, South Florida, Southeast Asia, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, USGS, Wetlands

UF/IFAS FNGLA Palm Quest 2026 to unveil next generation AI drone research tools for a changing industry on April 21-22

by Lourdes Mederos
March 26, 2026

From artificial intelligence that can diagnose palm diseases to drone technology tracking tree health from above, the Palm Quest 2026 Conference will spotlight the future of palm science when it returns to Fort Lauderdale April 21 to 22. Hosted ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Farm Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: #AI, AI-driven Palm Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, Disease, Drones, Ecosystem, Environmental Stressors, Florida, Florida's Ecosystem, Fungal Diseases, Fungal Pathogen, Mica McMillan, Native Palms, Palm Quest 2026, Palm Trees, Palm Varieties, Pests, Plant Health, Soil, Sustainability, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Urban Environments

March 26: UF/IFAS 37th South Florida Turfgrass – Landscape Research and Expo Field Day set

by Lourdes Mederos
March 5, 2026

Turf professionals will get a first look at the future of weed control and sustainable turf when the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) unveils new research and pioneering technologies at the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Lawn, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agronomy, Archive, Artificial Intelligence, Athletic Field Managers, CEU, Commercial Applicators, Field Day, Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Integrated Weed Management, Landscape Professionals, Lawns, Marco Schiavon, Pawel Petelewicz, Pest Control Operators, Sod Producers, Truf, Turf, Turfgrass, Turfgrass Managers, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Weed Control, Weed Science, Weeds

Researchers create DNA detection tool to stop spread of invasive Asian swamp eels, bullseye snakeheads

by Lourdes Mederos
February 24, 2026

Highlights University of Florida researchers have developed a DNA-based test that detects invasive species using only the genetic traces left behind in water. The newly published breakthrough gives wildlife conservationists a powerful ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Invasive Species, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Amphibian Decline, Aquatic Invasives, Archive, Asian Swamp Eel, Bahder Vector Ecology Lab, Brian Bahder, Bullseye Snakehead, Croc Docs Wildlife Research Lab, Crustacean Decline, DNA, Ecological Threat, EddMaps, EDNA, Environmental DNA, Everglades Restoration, Grant, Invasion Ecology, Invasive Species, IveGot1, Melissa Miller, National Invasive Species Awareness Week, SEEDIT, SEEDIT Grant, Sergio Balaguera-Reina, South Florida Water Management District, Support For Emerging Enterprise Development Integration Teams, U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Wildlife Conservationists

Florida termite breakthrough research sparks a nationwide surveillance collaboration initiative

by Lourdes Mederos
February 19, 2026

A new nationwide initiative inspired by University of Florida research is uniting scientists and industry professionals across the United States to stay ahead of destructive invasive termites. Known as The North American Termite Survey ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termite, Entomology And Nematology, Extension, Florida, Formosan Subterranean Termite, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, Model, National Invasive Species Awareness Week, NATS, News, Pest Management, South Florida, Structural Damage, Structural Entomologists, Termite Infestations, Termites, The North American Termite Survey, Thomas Chouvenc, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, University Of Florida Termite Collection

Meet the UF Croc Docs: Women leading wildlife conservation in the Everglades

by Lourdes Mederos
February 5, 2026

Highlights Women make up less than 30% of all scientists globally, a reminder of how persistent gender gaps remain in STEM fields, according to UNESCO. At the University of Florida’s Croc Docs Wildlife Research Lab , women represent ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: American Crocodile, Burmese Python, Crocodile, Drones, Everglades National Park, Florida Everglades, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank Mazzotti, GPS, Hawk, Innovation Tools, Innovative Solutions, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, Jen Brueggen, Melissa Miller, News, Radio Tracking, Snakes, Surveys, Tegu, Telemetry, UF Croc Docs, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida's Croc Docs Wildlife Research Lab, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

New study shows invasive termites threatening homes in Florida are spreading farther than predicted

by Lourdes Mederos
February 4, 2026

Highlights A new study from the University of Florida has found that two highly destructive invasive termite species have spread well beyond South Florida and are now threatening homes and buildings across much of the state. Decades ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termite, Chouvenc, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Formosan Subterranean Termite, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, News, Pest Control, Spread, Study, Termites, Thomas Chouvenc, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Termite Collection

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