Category: Water

Close up of a kayaker operating a handheld fish finder.

UPDATE: “Map Quest: Scallop Habitats” registration now open through 4-H!

by Katie Britt
April 15, 2026

April 15, 2026 update: dates offered for the 4-H Senior events have been changed. The following article reflects current changes and will be updated later with new date and registration information when available. Explore Tampa Bay’s ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: 4-H, 4-H & Youth, Geomatics Extension, Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County 4-H, Pinellas County, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County
a horseshoe crab emerging from the water's edge

Celebrating Ten Years of Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch in Cedar Key

by Savanna Barry
April 14, 2026

Each spring and fall in Cedar Key, as full and new moons drive tides rise to seasonal highs along marsh edges and sandy shorelines, horseshoe crabs emerge from the water to spawn. In doing this, horseshoe crabs are continuing a cycle that has ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Applied Research, Cedar Key, Citizen Science, Coastal Habitat, Coastal Systems, Florida Sea Grant, FWC, Horseshoe Crabs, InsideNatureCoast, NCBS Volunteers, Research
Brittany Mason and a student reporting and observing a non-venomous rat snake. Photo by Corey Callaghan

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 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

Florida Land Steward Update, April 10, 2026

by Chris Demers
April 10, 2026

GOPHER TORTOISE DAY GREETINGS! April 10th is officially adopted by the Gopher Tortoise Council as Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida. Gopher tortoises are found in parts of all 67 Florida counties and are frequently encountered in neighborhoods, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation Easements, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Gopher Tortoise, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm, Wildlife
Sendero peatonal del parque Welleby con árboles y bancas a lo largo de un estanque en el condado de Broward.

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 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

Cues to Care: Are city landowners willing to create ecological landscapes?

by hostetm
April 8, 2026

 The purpose of this publication is to inform homeowners, developers, environmental horticulture Extension agents, and city officials about potential considerations to make urban landscapes more eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Regarding ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environmental Landscaping, Sustainable Development, Urban Wildlife
An asian swamp eel close up. Photo by USGS.

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 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
Primer plano de varias anguilas de pantano asiáticas húmedas y viscosas entrelazadas sobre una superficie blanca. Sus cuerpos son largos, lisos y cilíndricos, con tonalidades marrones, amarillas y verde oscuro. La cabeza de una anguila es claramente visible cerca del centro.

Conviértase en un detector de especies invasoras y ayude a los científicos de UF a localizar la esquiva anguila asiática de pantano

by Luz Bahder
April 7, 2026

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Investigadores de University of Florida instan a los residentes del sur de Florida a colaborar para detener la propagación ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Invasive Species, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, ADN Ambiental, Agua, Anguila, Anguilas Asiáticas De Pantano, Canales, Cientificos, Condado De Broward, Condado De Miami-Dade, Condado De Palm Beach, Ecología De La Vida Silvestre, Ecosistemas Del Sur De Florida, Español, Especie Invasora, Everglades, Frank Mazzotti, Humedales, Informe, Invasores, Investigación Científica, IveGot1, Marismas, Mes De La Ciencia Ciudadana, Monitorear La Propagación De La Especie, Muestreos, Observaciones, Participación, Pez, Propogacion, Reporte, Reportes Del Publico, Respirar Aire, Spanish, Sur De Florida, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Www.IVEGOT1.org

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