Tag: ecosystem
Golden oyster mushrooms cultivated, sold in Florida: Scientist urges caution
November 3, 2025
The golden oyster mushroom, with bright yellow pillowy caps, are a popular buy that are sold in grow-your-own kits as well as standard grocery stores, farmer and gourmet markets. A University of Florida researcher warns it is quietly invading ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, WildlifeTags: Citizen Science, Culinary Connoisseurs, Culinary Mushroom Enthusiasts, Cultivating, Disrupt Ecosystems, Ecosystems, Farmer Market, Fungal Communities, Fungal Diseases, Golden Oyster Mushrooms, Gourmet Market, Grocery Stores, Grow-your-own Kits, Human Activities, Inaturalist, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Invasive Species, Michelle Jusino, Mushroom Observer, News, Research, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatic Sciences, Transporting, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida
EPA grant to help UF/IFAS scientists restore sea sponges, improve water quality in South Florida
October 15, 2025
Hidden beneath South Florida’s waves, sponges quietly clean the waters by filtering out nutrients, supporting seagrass and sustaining the region’s vibrant marine life. But after years of environmental stress and water quality decline, ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, WaterTags: Algae, Ana Zangroniz, Aquaculture, Ashley Smyth, Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Bacteria, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne Bay Pilot Nursery, Biscayne National Park, Classifications, Coastal, Coastal Environments, Coastal Habitat, Coastal Health, Cycle Nutrients, Ecosystem, Ecosystem Services, Filter, Florida Keys Aquaculture Research, Florida Sea Grant, Genetic Advances, Habitat, Harmful Algal Blooms, Lower Keys, Marine, Marine Life, National Park Service, Nature’s Water Filters, Organisms, Restore Ecological Services, Restore Sponge Populations, Sea Sponge, Seagrass, Shelly Krueger, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, South Florida, Southeast Florida, Sponge Restoration Aquaculture, Sponge Restoration Species, Tropical Research And Education Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, UF/IFAS Extension Monroe County, UF/IFAS Researchers, Viruses, Water Clarity, Water Quality, Water Quality Benefits
Pollinators in peril: Floridians interested in helping, but not enough to act
October 14, 2025
Across the Sunshine State, some Floridians are eyeing roadsides as potential havens for pollinators. But there’s a catch – while many residents are fond of bees, butterflies and other beneficial bugs, a new University of Florida study shows ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, ConservationTags: Agricultural Education And Communication, Bees, Beneficial Bugs, Butterflies, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Ecosystems, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Floridians, Food, Habitats, Havens, Jaret Daniels, Knowledge, Laura Warner, Pollinator Advocates, Pollinator Gardens, Pollinators, Population, Preservation, Roadside Pollinators, Roadsides, Survey
University of Florida to be new host for major plant and animal breeding accelerator program
September 25, 2025
The University of Florida is the new home for an important partner in the effort to provide nutritious food for the nation and to keep farms competitive – a USDA-Agricultural Research Service-funded program called Breeding Insight (BI). The ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, LivestockTags: #aiatuf, Animal Breeding, Breeding Insight, Crops, Damian Adams, Ecosystems, Food, Growers, High-performance Computing, Moira Sheehan, Plant Breeding, Prec-ag, Ranchers, Software, UF/IFAS Research
Wildlife ecologist busts myths about coyote behavior, including their predatory actions
September 9, 2025
Whenever Hance Ellington gets a chance, he likes to talk about the science of coyotes, including their behavior around other animals. Dispelling coyote myths is a passion for Ellington, an assistant professor of wildlife ecology and conservation ... READ MORE
Category: WildlifeTags: Behavior, Bites, Burmese Python, Cats, Cattle, Coyotes, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Dogs, Ecosystem, Food, Hance Ellington, Myths, Predators, Ranchers, Range Cattle Research And Education Center, Wildlife Ecologist
Who’s that critter? UF/IFAS wildlife series spotlights the Florida manatee
July 9, 2025
Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. More than 4,000 animal species, in fact, are native to the Sunshine State. (more…) READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Water, WildlifeTags: Aquatic, Coastal, Conservation, Critter, Critter Of The Month, Ecosystem, Extension, Florida, Florida Manatee, Gentle Giant, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Maia McGuire, Manatee, Marine, Megan Winslow, Protect, River, Sea Cow, Species, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Water, West Indian Manatee, Wildlife
UF research into lantana earns Dissertation of the Year
May 15, 2025
Brooks Parrish has spent the past three years studying the genetics of lantana. These plants are beautiful, but if they’re not properly contained, they can escape cultivation, invade natural and agricultural lands, displace native plants, ... READ MORE
Category: UF/IFASTags: #Dissertation, Brooks Parrish, Dean For Research Office, Dissertation Of The Year, Ecosystems, Environmental Horticulture, Genetic Sterilization, Genetics, Invasive, Lantana, Molecular Biology, Native, Robert Gilbert, Sandra Wilson, Sterilization, Zhanao Deng
UF/IFAS scientists discover sea-level rise threat to Florida’s endangered pine rocklands
April 17, 2025
Pine rocklands are home to plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. They are also one of the world's most endangered habitats. Unique to South Florida, the Florida Keys and some islands in The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, these upland ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Forests, Horticulture, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS ResearchTags: Beneficial Fungi, Caicos, Conservation, DNA, Droughts, Ecosystem, Elena Karlsen-Ayala, Endangered Habitat, Florida, Florida Keys, Forest, Fungi, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Limestone Forest, Matthew Smith, Miami-Dade, Molecular Ecology, Mycorrhizas, News, Pine Rocklands, Plant Pathology, Reforestation, Regeneration, Rising Temperatures, Romina Gazis, Salinity, Salt Intrusion, Sea Level Rise, Slash Pines, Symbiotic Associations, The Bahamas, Tropical Research And Education Center, Turks, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida