Category: Wildlife

Is Your Photograph Worth That Starfish’s Life?

by Brynn Morey
June 24, 2025

Starfish, or sea stars, are iconic marine animals often found in tide pools, along the shoreline, in seagrass beds, and mangrove channels. Their unique appearance and vibrant colors make them an irresistible photo subject for snorkelers and ... READ MORE

Category: , Coasts & Marine, Conservation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environmental Impact, Florida Keys, Florida Sea Grant, Marine Conservation, Sea Star, Starfish
Reef prisms

New manual provides instructions for building environmentally friendly, man-made reefs

by Megan Winslow
June 23, 2025

Living shorelines are gaining popularity in Florida as residents seek sustainable solutions capable of calming waves and restoring habitats. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Biodegradable, Environment, Environmentally Friendly, FDEP, Florida Department Of Environmental Protection, Florida Sea Grant, Guide, Homemade, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, JR-CSA, Jute-reinforced Calcium Sulfoaluminate, Living Shoreline, Manual, Mark Clark, Megan Winslow, Panels, Partnership For Plastic-free Restoration Of Oyster Shorelines, Prisms, PROS, Reef, Savanna Barry, Sea Grant, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Tutorial, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Video, Volunteer, Water, Wildlife, Workshop

Meet Margaret Monti: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
June 20, 2025

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Florida Master Naturalist Courses Inspire a Life of Volunteerism and Nature Immersion Like many Florida residents, Margaret Monti is a transplant. ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Conservation, Course, Ecology, Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Learn, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Wildlife
An image of fluorescent lichen under a blacklight, growing on a cabbage palm tree in the dark of night.

ex•plore: Turn off the Lights for Nature at Night

by Jackie Lebouitz
June 19, 2025

Have you ever wanted to experience one of our Sarasota County parks after dark? Consider attending one of our upcoming Nature at Night programs, part of the ex•plore series. What can you expect to see and do at Nature at Night? Keep reading ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Events, Forests, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Ecology, Explore, Hiking, Nature, Nature At Night, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_EcoNR, Urban Wildlife, Wildlife, Wildlife And Ecology
Sea star breaking down at the bottom of the ocean

Estrellas de mar están muriendo en aguas del Atlántico: Científicos de UF/IFAS documentan el primer caso de enfermedad en Florida

by Luz Bahder
June 18, 2025

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Una escena inquietante recibió a practicantes del esnórquel en las aguas costeras del condado de Palm Beach: estrellas ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: ADN, Aguas Costeras Atlánticas De Florida, Aguas Poco Profundas, Alex Romer, Amenazas A Especies Vulnerables, Atlántico, Biología Marina, Brote, Comunidad Del Fondo Marino, Condado De Palm Beach, Densovirus, Enfermedad De Desgaste De Las Estrellas De Mar, Enfermedad Del Desgaste, Enfermedad Del Desgaste De Las Estrellas De Mar, Esnórquel, Español, Estrella De Mar, Estrella Marina, Estrellas Marinas, Florida, FLREC, Fondo Marino, INaturalist App, Invertebrados Marinos, Lake Worth Cove, Las Estrellas De Mar De Nueve Brazos, Melissa Miller, Miembros De La Comunidad, Monitoreo, Patogeno, Patología, Praderas Marinas, Reportes, Salud, Southeastern Naturalist, SSWD, University Of Florida En Fort Lauderdale
scallops

Scallop season opens in Florida. Dive into this summer tradition with advice from UF/IFAS, Florida Sea Grant

by Megan Winslow
June 18, 2025

Florida bay scallop season has started, and seafood lovers from across the state are already venturing off the coasts of Taylor and Dixie counties, where recreational harvesting is permitted now through Labor Day. Harvesting in other Gulf Coast ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Wildlife
Tags: Ask IFAS, Bay County, Bay Scallop, Boat, Boating, Brittany Hall-Scharf, Captain, Catch, Conservation, Diving, Dixie County, Emergency, Extension Hernando County, Fishing, Float Plan, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Sea Grant, FSG, FWC, Guide, Gulf Coast, Harvest, Harvesting, Hurricane, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Megan Winslow, Overharvesting, Pinellas County, Recommendation, Recreation, Safety, Seagrass, Shucking, Snorkeling…, Sustainability, Swimmer, Swimming, Taylor County, Tips, Tutorial, Tyler Jones, U.S. Coast Guard, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USCG, Vessel
extracting nectar

UF/IFAS research protects pollinators from harmful pesticide exposures

by Megan Winslow
June 17, 2025

Years ago, when purchasing a flat of pansies at a garden center, Chris Wilson noticed a label indicating the flowers had been treated with insecticides. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘But bees can’t read labels,’” said Wilson, ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, Wildlife
Tags: Bee, Chris Wilson, Collaboration, Contamination, Environmental Horticulture Department, Grant, IFAS, Insecticide, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lantana, Megan Winslow, Mia Cabrera, Nectar, Nifa, Pest, Pesticide, Pollen, Pollinator, Pollinator Week, Research, Salvia, Sandra Wilson, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Study, Tyler Jones, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USDA National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, Vanesa Rostán

Florida Land Steward Update, June 13, 2025

by Chris Demers
June 13, 2025

GOT PLANS TO PLANT TREES THIS FALL OR WINTER? GET SEEDLING ORDERS IN THIS SUMMER If you have plans and/or cost-share funding to plant trees this coming fall or winter, get your seedling orders placed soon. Andrews State Tree Nursery begins ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Season, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm, Wild Turkey, Wildlife

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