The featured Gulf catch and cook species for May 2025 is the Grunt! White Grunt are fun to catch and delicious to eat! White Grunt can be caught in the Gulf year-round! Grunt are easy to catch and can provide fun for the whole family. Read ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Aren't plants amazing? They add beauty to any setting, bring joy to those around them, help to clean our air, and can provide a great meal! Did you know that they have a lot in common with oysters as well! Oysters are amazing animals that ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
During the Eyes on Seagrass Blitz, one of the questions we ask is "Is there macroalgae present?" But what is macroalgae, and how can I tell it apart from seagrass? What is the difference between seagrass and algae? Seagrass is ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water![assorted microplastics shown resting on two fingertips, with a pile of microplastics in the background. [credit: uf/ifas, tyler jones]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2025/02/2017_Waste_microplasticCloseupFingers01_ifasTylerJonesCROP1650x470TINY.png)
We have all heard the mantra: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We know plastic isn't natural and doesn't decompose. After all, you can’t compost plastic, right? You’ve probably seen those heart-wrenching images of straws in sea turtles' noses ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Water
Many of the creatures we have written about in this series to this point are ones that very few people have ever heard of. But that is not the case with jellyfish. Everyone knows about jellyfish – and for the most part, we do not like ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Written by Mary Schneider, Operation TRAP's Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Gulf Scholar Thoughts from Operation TRAP's UF Undergraduate Gulf Scholar: Mary Schneider During my internship, my primary role was cleaning out storm drain traps—an ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Las conductas humanas riesgosas, no la agresión de los caimanes, es la principal causa de mordeduras, según un estudio ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs) VOGS are oyster restoration structures composed of recycled oyster shells strung together and suspended in coastal intertidal zones. The VOGs recruit new oyster growth, expanding oyster reef habitats and promoting ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Range maps for diamondback terrapins – a type of vulnerable turtle species – highlight the entire United States East Coast and Gulf Coast. Until a few years ago, however, the shading hiccupped between Port St. Joe, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, WildlifeEveryone has heard of sponges, and many know they grow in the ocean. But fewer are aware that sponges are actually animals. When we think of animals, we think of something that crawls around seeking food and laying eggs periodically. Sponges ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources