It’s Spring Break season! The recent warm weather is ideal for the incoming crowds of visitors we expect along our Gulf beaches. But as we know, having tens of thousands of often inexperienced folks from out of town converging on the water ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
Blog Post Written by Laila Cohen, UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County intern Surf’s up! Happy International Surfing Day! International Surfing Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in June and takes place on June 21st in 2025. Surfing originated ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water
We had some big waves in mid-December, and with that washed up a slew of plastic fragments and bottle caps as well as natural debris such as sargassum seaweed and black mangrove propagules. However, there was something different on our beaches ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Welcome to the second blog of the Florida 101 series. If you haven’t read it yet, go back and check out our first entry on Florida weather. Understanding tides is vital to being able to appreciate life on the coast! Tides affect ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water
While the beaches in Pinellas County are gaining a lot of press, County Parks and Preserves have remained open for recreational exercise, with limited amenities, during the duration of the “Safer at Home” County Order . “Under the Governor’s ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
By Katie Ray, UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (CAIP) Intern Jessica Solomon was born and raised a Florida native. Growing up in Miami and Clearwater, she spent most of her time exploring the outdoors after school. “I ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease
What is Sargassum? Sargassum is a macroalgae, or seaweed, that originates in the Sargasso Sea, off of the east coast of the United States in the North Atlantic Ocean. The two species of sargassum are Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans, ... READ MORE
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Maia McGuire was leading middle-schoolers on a local beach clean-up when she noticed a cluster of deflated balloons on the sand. It’s not unusual to find balloons on the beach, McGuire said, but these were different: Each balloon was printed ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS ExtensionA room with a view: a stripped hermit crab sizes up a potential residence Summertime in north Florida is good. Among the premium experiences are leisurely hours at the beach. For many this is a period of relaxation and the opportunity to casually ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, Wildlife