Category: Water

The purpose of the Florida Master Naturalist Program

by martinmain
February 26, 2025

I'm sometimes asked why I created the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP), which has been offering courses since 2001 and has awarded in excess of 25,000 FMNP graduate certificates since. The simple answer to that question is that my interests, ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, FMNP, Natural Resources

Scientists study breeding of pet fish to help protect reefs, fuel Florida’s economy

by Meredith Bauer-Mitchell
February 25, 2025

Florida’s pet fish industry is booming, but many saltwater species in home aquariums are still taken from the wild. Researchers at UF/IFAS want to change that by helping fish farmers breed popular species like clownfish and blue ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Conservation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Indian River Research And Education Center, IRREC, Matt DiMaggio, Ornamental Fish, Ornamental Fish Farming, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Ways to Reduce Plastics at Home

by Randy Penn
February 21, 2025

You might have heard about "microplastics," a term that has been in the news in recent years. But, do you know what microplastics are? What damage they can cause? Or, how to help lessen the impacts? We've got you covered. Microplastics ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Water
Tags: Microplastic, Microplastics, Pgm_Waste, Plastic, Pollution, Recycle, Recycling, Reduce, Reuse, Waste Reduction

Gearing up for Florida Master Naturalist Program courses!

by Carolyn Kovacs
February 19, 2025

We are just a month away from one of my favorite programs I get to run each year – the Florida Master Naturalist Program Coastal Systems course. I love this course because we get to spend so much of our time outdoors learning out about and ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Systems, Education, Flagler County, Florida Master Naturalist Program, Florida Sea Grant, FMNP, Marine Habitat Restoration, Volusia County

Florida Land Steward Update, February 14, 2025

by Chris Demers
February 14, 2025

WINTER-SPRING ISSUE OF QUARTERLY FLORIDA LAND STEWARD NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE In this issue: Congratulations Rebecca and Manny Mendoza: 2025 Florida Land Steward Landowners of the Year, Ginger Feagle to Lead Florida Tree Farm Program, David ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Award, Conservation Easements, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Timber, Tree Farm, Trees, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Biodiversity

by Carrie Stevenson
February 13, 2025

According to Conservation International, there are 36 biodiversity hotspots worldwide. These are defined as areas with “at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Education, Estuaries, Florida Panhandle, Gulf Of Mexico, Pollinators, Water Quality, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Florida Land Steward Update, February 7, 2025

by Chris Demers
February 7, 2025

APPLY FOR USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS Apply by March 7, 2025 If you are interested in protecting the integrity of your property, consider a conservation easement through the U.S. Department of Agriculture ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Award, Conservation Easements, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Management, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Timber, Tree Farm, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Ghost shrimp

by Carrie Stevenson
February 6, 2025

If you’re a regular reader, you probably know this blog started as a way to address the many emails and texts I receive, asking, “What IS this?” On a semi-regular basis, these questions also come from professional colleagues. All of ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Learn about living shorelines – a natural defense against coastal erosion

by martinmain
February 4, 2025

Powerful coastal storms can be highly destructive to built environments, including modified shorelines. This is particularly true when nature's natural defenses, such as oyster reefs, mangroves, and tidal marshes are replaced with turfgrass ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, FMNP Blog, Https://www.facebook.com/@OfficialFMNP/, UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

Gulf Coast Catch and Cook February: Hogfish

by Dr. Megan Moore
February 4, 2025

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

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Catch, Cook, Fishing, Florida Sea Grant, Gulf, Hogfish, Pasco County, UF/IFAS Pasco Extension Office

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