Tag: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Nine-armed Sea Stars dying in Atlantic waters: UF/IFAS scientists document first case of disease in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
June 18, 2025

A disturbing scene met snorkelers in Palm Beach County’s coastal waters – sea stars (also known as starfish) with missing limbs, open wounds and bodies falling apart on the ocean floor. The condition known as Sea Star Wasting Disease ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alexander Romer, Atlantic Waters, Curling Limbs, Densovirus, Eric Suarez, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Inaturalist, Lake Worth Cove, Lourdes Mederos, Marine, Melissa Miller, Nine-armed Sea Stars, Palm Beach County, Sea Star Wasting Disease, Southeaster Naturalist, Splitlure Frogfish, SSWS, Starfish, Starfish Wasting Disease, University Of Florida, Wildlife
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

Florida Sea Grant’s Florida Friendly Fishing certificate programs win national award for marine conservation

by Lourdes Mederos
November 20, 2024

Florida Sea Grant’s highly acclaimed Florida Friendly Fishing certification programs have been recognized by the Sea Grant Extension Assembly as the national winner of the 2024 Superior Outreach Programming Team Award. The award marks ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Anglers, Charters, Conservation, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Friendly Angler, Florida Friendly Angler En Español, Florida Friendly Fishing Guide, Florida Sea Grant, FWC, Marine Conservation, Michael Sipos, Sea Grant Extension Assembly, Superior Outreach Programming Award
Florida black bear

UF expert shares safety tips as campus bear remains at large

by Megan Winslow
June 14, 2024

As officials continued to patrol parts of the University of Florida campus where they last spotted a bear Thursday evening, a wildlife ecologist offered advice about staying safe in the event of a bear encounter. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Conservation, UF/IFAS, Wildlife
Tags: Bear, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, FWC, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Kristen Grace, Lake Alice, Lake Alice Conservation Area, Latrell Simmons, Mark Hostetler, Megan Winslow, Mowry Road, Ocala National Forest, San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, UF-IFAS, UFPD, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Police Department, Wildlife, Wildlife Ecology

From feared predator to ultimate eco-hero of Everglades Restoration: UF/IFAS experts explain role of the American alligator today

by Lourdes Mederos
May 28, 2024

The American alligator, the official state reptile of Florida, which conjures both fear and admiration, is also being celebrated for its critical role in the ecosystem. These majestic creatures, often misunderstood as aggressive man-eaters, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Alligator, Croc Docs, Ecological Indicators, Everglades National Park, Everglades Restoration, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank Mazzotti, National Alligator Day, Passive Integrated Transponder, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

What’s next for UF/IFAS scientists on the Burmese python telemetry scout project?

by Lourdes Mederos
April 2, 2024

Highlights: Burmese python breeding season is in full swing in the Florida Everglades. For a team of scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), this ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Biology, Brandon Welty, Breeding, Burmese Python, Clutch, Croc Docs, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Florida Everglades, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Research Institute, Invasive Species, Melissa Miller, Python Telemetry Scout Project, Radio Telemetry, South Florida, South Florida Water Management District, U.S. Geological Survey, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Wildlife Biologist

This Halloween, have a heart for bats; a UF/IFAS expert explains

by Lourdes Mederos
October 16, 2023

People of all cultures have a love-hate relationship with bats. Feared for their portrayals after decades of horror movies and centuries of folklore, bats are also the ultimate must-have for Halloween decor. Florida has 13 species of ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: #echolocation, Bat Appreciation Week, Bats, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Extension, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Master Naturalist Program, Halloween, IFAS NEWS, Insectivorous, Insects, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Ken Gioeli, News, UF IFAS News, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant survey seeks boater input on existing and needed resources

by Lourdes Mederos
August 17, 2023

Florida Sea Grant wants to hear from boaters to gauge their understanding of boating activities and practices.  More specifically, they want to know what and where additional sewage disposal resources are needed from boaters while traveling ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Boating, Boating Activities, Boating Practices, Clean Oceans, Clean Rivers, Clean Water, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Sea Grant, National Marine Manufacturers, News, Recreational Boating, Recreational Watercrafts, Sewage Disposal, Sunshine State, Survey, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant Agents, Watercraft, Waterways

Keep crabs in and terrapins out, new FWC ruling for recreational crab traps takes effect March 1

by Tory Moore
February 17, 2023

Highlights Recreational crab traps in Florida are required to have an opening no larger than 6-by-2 inches in place by March 1 per new Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission regulations. Free BRDs are available at select UF/IFAS Extension ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Blue Crab, BRD, Bycatch Reduction Device, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Sea Grant, Terrapin, UF/IFAS Extension

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