Category: Coasts & Marine

Grow more Keystone Plants? … Here is a pictorial list!

by Maria Quirico
December 27, 2025

Keystone Plants for Central Florida Planting native species is an excellent first step toward attracting beneficial insects. In his influential book Nature’s Best Hope, author, conservationist, and entomologist Douglas Tallamy explains ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Curriculum, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Discovery Gardens, Doug Tallamy, Keystone Plants, Native Florida Plants, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees

Rattlesnakes on Our Barrier Islands; Part 4 – Thermoregulation

by Rick O'Connor
December 22, 2025

All animals have a thermal range within which they can survive. For some it is very small range, for others it is amazingly large. Whatever their range is, they function best near the upper portion of it. “Warm blooded” animals (endotherms) ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Rattlesnakes, Snakes

NOAA RESTORE awards $3.5M for UF study of long-term trends in the Gulf

by Suzette Cook
December 18, 2025

GAINESVILLE, FL -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) RESTORE Science Program has awarded the University of Florida $3.5M to research long-term trends in the targeting, distribution, and growth of select ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Recreation, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Fisheries And Aquatic Sciences Unit, NOAA RESTORE, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences

Weekly “What is it?”: Coquina clams

by Carrie Stevenson
December 18, 2025

Ever notice the little air bubbles that form in the wet sand after a wave retreats? These are created by thousands of coquina clams buried just under the sand. When covered by an incoming wave, they open their shells to feed and clap closed ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Gulf Of Mexico, Weekly What Is It

Rattlesnakes on Our Barrier Islands; Part 3 – Envenomation

by Rick O'Connor
December 17, 2025

Though encounters with Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes are rare, bites from them are even more rare, and deaths from those bites almost nonexistent, it is worth discussing the issues and remedies of a bite. About 8000 people are bitten ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Rattlesnakes

St. Joe Red Tide Claiming Terrapins

by Rick O'Connor
December 9, 2025

Almost everyone has heard of red tides and know they periodically occur off the coast of Florida. The more frequent events occur off southwest Florida between Tampa and the Keys, but they have occurred in other parts of the state. When ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Red Tide, Terrapins

Gulf Coast Catch and Cook December: Redfish

by Dr. Megan Moore
December 8, 2025

The featured Gulf catch and cook species for December 2025 is the Redfish! Redfish are fun to catch and delicious to eat! Redfish can be caught in the Gulf year-round! Read on to learn how to catch Redfish and make a delicious meal! Fun ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Catch And Cook, Fishing, Florida Sea Grant, Gulf, Recreational Fishing, Red Drum, Redfish, UF/IFAS Pasco Extension Office

Rattlesnakes on Our Barrier Islands; Part 2 – Prey Selection

by Rick O'Connor
December 8, 2025

It is understood that rattlesnakes are carnivores and will select some form of meat for their food. The general principle is to select something that is easy to kill and requires less energy to do so. Most rattlesnakes will select rodents ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Rattlesnakes

FFGS Faculty members Braswell, Li, selected as Gulf Research Program Fellows

by Suzette Cook
December 8, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced on Dec. 5 its 2025-2027 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows in the environmental protection and stewardship and ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, UF/IFAS

Pulse Corals could be coming to a trap near you!

by Shelly Krueger
December 6, 2025

The Monroe County Extension Office is looking for commercial trappers and recreational stone crabbers to be on the lookout for a possible new invasive underwater species. It is a soft coral called Pulse Coral, which is common in the aquarium ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species
Tags: Florida Sea Grant, Invasive Species, Marine Invaders, Pulse Corals

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