Tag: Habitat

Creating a sea urchin ‘baby formula’ to help save our reefs

by Brad Buck
February 18, 2026

Sea urchins are the “lawnmowers of the reefs,” a University of Florida scientist says. They tirelessly chew down the algae that would otherwise smother coral and block the sunlight reefs rely on. When they’re abundant, these spiky grazers ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Adult Urchins, Algae, Apollo Beach, Baby Urchins, Caribbean, Casey Hudspeth, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Habitat, Josh Patterson, Juvenile Urchins, Lawnmowers, Microalgae, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, The Florida Aquarium’s Coral Conservation And Research Center
Florida panther by FWC

Wildlife Watch: Learn to protect the Florida panther during critical breeding season with Ask IFAS’ bilingual guide

by Lourdes Mederos
February 12, 2026

About this series As residential and commercial development expands across Florida, wildlife is adapting to live closer to people. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) shares tips through Ask ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agricultural Areas, Ask IFAS, Big Cats, Breeding Population, Caloosahatchee River, Conservation Strategies, Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Panther, Forests, FWC, Habitat, Habitat Loss, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Kittens, Neighborhoods, News, Panther Behavior, Prairies, Public Awareness, Ranchlands, Research, Species Survival, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, Vehicle Collisions, Wetlands, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
This is a close-up photo of a cougar, also known as a mountain lion or puma. It has a sleek, tawny coat and striking blue-green eyes. The background is blurred, emphasizing the focus on the cougar's intense gaze and muscular build.

Descubriendo la Vida Silvestre: Aprenda a proteger al puma de Florida durante su crucial temporada de reproducción con la guía bilingüe de Ask IFAS

by Luz Bahder
February 12, 2026

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Acerca de esta serie A medida que el desarrollo residencial y comercial continúa expandiéndose en toda Florida, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Amenazas, Ask IFAS En Español, Comision De Conservacion De Pesca Y Vida Silvestre De Florida, Conservacion, Descubriendo La Vida Silvestre, época De Cortejo, época Reproductiva, Español, Felino, Habitat, Hoja Informativa, Hoja Informativa Sobre La Vida Silvestre De Florida: El Puma De Florida, Lago Okeechobee, León De Montaña, Medidas De Conservación, Pantera De Florida, Peligro De Extinción, Población, Protección Federal, Puma, Puma Concolor Coryi, Puma De Florida, Requerimientos De Hábitat, Servicio De Pesca Y Vida Silvestre De Estados Unidos, Spanish, Subespecie, Supervivencia, Sur De Florida, UF-IFAS
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
A top view of a sea sponge in water.

EPA grant to help UF/IFAS scientists restore sea sponges, improve water quality in South Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
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, Water
Tags: 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
Gopher tortoise

Who’s that critter? UF/IFAS wildlife series spotlights Florida’s native gopher tortoises

by Megan Winslow
August 13, 2025

Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. In fact,  more than 4,000 animal species are native to the Sunshine State. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Animal, Burrow, Conservation, Critter, Environment, Extension Pinellas County, Florida Sea Grant, Gopher Tortoise, Habitat, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Katie Mastenbrook, Keystone Species, Megan Winslow, Threatened, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weedon Island Preserve, Who's That Critter?, Wildlife

Risky human behavior, not aggressive gators, behind most alligator bites

by Lourdes Mederos
April 16, 2025

Risky human behavior, not aggression by alligators, is the leading cause of alligator bites, according to a groundbreaking study by scientists at the University of Florida and Centre College in Kentucky. Published in the journal Human—Wildlife ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alligator Attacks, Alligator Bite, Alligator Habitat, Alligator Mating Season, Alligators, Attractive Stimulus, Co-exist, Crocodilians, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank Mazzotti, Habitat, Human Awareness, Human Behavior, Lakes, News, Oceans, Predator, Rivers, Situational Awareness, Targeted Communication Strategies, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Ecology, Wildlife Managers

Citizen scientists help researchers protect keystone species

by Megan Winslow
April 16, 2025

Range maps for diamondback terrapins – a type of vulnerable turtle species – highlight the entire United States East Coast and Gulf Coast. Until a few years ago, however, the shading hiccupped between Port St. Joe, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Apalachicola County, Baldwin County, Bay County, Bycatch Device, CITES, Citizen Science, Conservation, Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora, Crab Trap, Environment, Escambia County, Florida Sea Grant, Gulf Coast, Habitat, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Keystone Species, Marsh, Mathilda Ravine, Megan Winslow, Mollusks, Okaloosa County, Orientation, Panhandle, Panhandle Terrapin Project, Pensacola And Perdido Bays Estuary Program, Rick O'Connor, Santa Rosa County, Survey, Threatened, U.S. Geological Survey, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USGS, Volunteer, Wakulla County, Walton County
image of Welleby park walking path with trees and benches along a pond in Broward County.

¿Estamos perdiendo nuestra vida silvestre por culpa de las bancas y los estadios? Una investigación de UF/IFAS muestra cómo los diseños inteligentes pueden evitarlo

by Luz Bahder
April 14, 2025

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. En Estados Unidos, más de 440 parques nacionales y 7400 parques urbanos ofrecen una variedad de espacios verdes ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Actividades Humanas, Biodiversidad, Broward, Centro De Educación E Investigación De UF/IFAS Localizado En Fort Lauderdale, Ciencia Ciudadana, Condado De Broward, Conservacion, Corey Callaghan, Ecologia, Espacios Verdes, Espacios Verdes Urbanos, Español, Especies Sensibles, Fauna Silvestre, Flora Silvestre, FLREC, Fragmentacion, Habitat, Inaturalist, Isla De Calor Urbano, Participacion Comunitaria, Plantas Nativas, Regulación Climática, Spanish, UF-IFAS, Vida Silvestre

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