Tag: Florida Keys

Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial Park and Campground, Miami, Florida. An example of a pine rockland habitat and one of the sampling sites in this study. South Florida slash pine are the keystone trees in this habitat. Photo Credit: Elena Karlsen-Ayala

UF/IFAS scientists discover sea-level rise threat to Florida’s endangered pine rocklands

by Lourdes Mederos
May 14, 2026

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 Research
Tags: 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
Close-up of sea urchins on a green and pink mottled surface.

UF/IFAS, The Florida Aquarium collaborate to revitalize coral reefs, marine habitats

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

Coral reefs serve as habitats for fish, increase tourism activities and reduce wave energy – among their many benefits. That’s why scientists with the University of Florida and The Florida Aquarium’s Coral Conservation and Research ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine
Tags: Broodstrock, Coral, Coral Reefs, Fish, Florida Keys, Florida Sea Grant, Habitats, Josh Patterson, Partnership, Reproduction, Restoration Aquaculture, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Scuba, Sea Urchins, The Florida Aquarium, The Florida Aquarium’s Coral Conservation And Research Center, Tourism
Black sea urchins on a green and red mottled marine background.

UF scientists find good places to grow long-spined sea urchins, a starting point to restore ‘the lawn mowers of the reefs’

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

Scientists call long-spined sea urchins “the lawn mowers of the reefs” because they eat algae that could otherwise smother reef ecosystems and kill corals. That’s why researchers affiliated with the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aaron Pilnick, Caribbean, Coral Reefs, Florida Aquarium Conservation Campus, Florida Keys, Florida Sea Grant, Josh Patterson, Juvenile, Larva, Long-spined Sea Urchins, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, Settlement, Substrate, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Study: Sea level rise shifts habitat for endangered Keys species

by Kirsten Romaguera Rabin
May 14, 2026

A newly published study in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation describes the response to sea level rise by an endangered species only found in the Florida Keys. The silver rice rat moved to higher elevations at a greater ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Endangered Species, Endemic Species, Florida Keys, Rats, Robert McCleery, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
Imagen de dos esponjas grandes bajo el agua.

EPA otorga una subvención a los científicos de UF/IFAS para apoyar la restauración de esponjas marinas y la mejora de la calidad del agua en el sur de Florida

by Luz Bahder
May 14, 2026

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Ocultas bajo las olas del sur de Florida, las esponjas limpian silenciosamente las aguas al filtrar nutrientes, fortaleciendo ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Acuicultura De Restauración De Esponjas, Agencia De Protección Ambiental De Los Estados Unidos, Agentes De Extension, Aguas Costeras Poco Profundas, Ana Zangroniz, Ashley Smyth, Bahia De Biscayne, Beneficios De La Calidad Del Agua, Billy’s Point, Biscayne, Biscayne Bay, Calidad De Agua, Calidad Del Agua, Cayos De Florida, Centro Tropical De Investigación Y Educación, Denominación Común, Deterioro En La Calidad Del Agua, Ecosistemas Marinos, EPA, Español, Espojas, Esponja De Lana De Oveja, Esponjas, Estrés Ambiental, Filtradores, Filtrar, Filtros, Floraciones De Algas Nocivas, Florida, Florida Keys, Hábitat Costero De Florida, Identificación Científica, Identificación De Especies De Esponjas, Lisa Krimsky, Los Cayos De Florida, Nombre Cientifico, Nombre Comun, Parque Nacional Biscayne, Poliferos, Praderas Marinas, Proliferacion De Algas, Restauracion, Sea Grant, Servicio De Parques Nacionales, Servicios Ecosistémicos, Sheepwool Sponge, Shelly Krueger, Spanish, Taxonomía, TREC, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Vida Marina

Pass the Torch – Plant Torchwood

by Donna Corbelli Castro
May 12, 2026

Torchwood is a very unique and under-utilized native tree that occurs mostly in South Florida and the Florida Keys. It also occurs in Mexico and the Caribbean.  It can also grow on the East Coast of Florida to 9B, around St. Augustine. Torchwood ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Amyris Elemifera, FANN, Florida Association Of Native Nurseries, Florida Keys, Fragrant Trees, Giant Swallowtail, Newsletter, Newsletter2, Schaus Swallowtail, Small Trees, Torchwood, Underutilized Tree
Photo of locks

Digital Preparedness: Protect Your Information Before, During, and After a Disaster

by Alicia Betancourt
April 7, 2026

Website tracking collects your online behavior using cookies, pixels, and device fingerprinting. After disasters, scammers can use this data to send targeted phishing messages, fake FEMA alerts, and fraudulent contractor offers. Protecting your ... READ MORE

Category: , Disaster Preparation, Money Matters, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Consumer Protection, Digital Privacy, Disaster Preparedness, Financial Resilience, Florida Keys, Fraud Prevention, Hurricane Safety, Identity Theft, Monroe County Florida, Online Safety, UF/IFAS Extension
Left to right: Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit, White-Crowned Pigeon, Miami Blue Butterfly.

Supporting Local Wildlife in Home Landscapes

by Liah Continentino
October 31, 2025

Florida's population is expanding by an estimated 600 people per day, fueling an ever-increasing demand for development. Development drives one of the greatest threats to Florida's wildlife: habitat loss. According to the US Fish and Wildlife ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Backyard, Conservation, Extension, Florida Keys, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Habitat, Homeowners, Landscaping, Monroe County Extension, Native Plants, Wildlife Habitat

Salt-tolerant Landscaping in the Florida Keys

by Liah Continentino
September 25, 2025

The Florida Keys are known for their idyllic seascapes, warm climate, and fascinating geological history. While we love these aspects of the Keys, many plants may not. If you have gardened here, you know it can be difficult. One increasing horticultural ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Coastal Landscaping, Florida Keys, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, King Tides, Native Plants, Resilient Landscapes, Salt Tolerant Plants, Sustainable Landscaping

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