Aiming for a sunset stroll last week at Pensacola Beach, we stopped at the Park East lot and headed for the dune walkover. Just before entering the boardwalk, my daughter noticed a wooden box mounted adjacent to it. It was the size and shape ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Thoughts from Operation TRAP’s UF Summer 2026 Undergraduate Gulf Scholar: Madeline Prummer This summer, I had the opportunity to work with Operation T.R.A.P. (Trash Reduction for Aquatic Preserves), a NOAA-funded initiative focused on intercepting ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Cedar Key community members and visitors are invited to help protect our coast during the 41st Annual International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Cedar Key City Park. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. Organized ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Operation TRAP’s (Trash Reduction for Aquatic Preserves) mission is to partner with local government and state Aquatic Preserve systems to intercept litter at the source and reduce the amount of marine debris entering Florida’s coastal waterways. ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Thoughts from Operation TRAP’s UF Fall 2025 Undergraduate Gulf Scholar: Cameron Sargent When I joined Operation TRAP (Trash Reduction for Aquatic Preserves) this fall, I expected to learn about environmental conservation. What I didn’t ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Written by Emily Colson, Communications Specialist at UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station Thank you to all the volunteers who came out by land and sea to make the 40th Annual International Coastal Cleanup in Cedar Key a success! On ... READ MORE
Category: Community Volunteers, Events,
Written by Mallory Willem, Operation TRAP's Summer 2025 UF Undergraduate Gulf Scholar Thoughts from Operation TRAP's UF Undergraduate Gulf Scholar: Mallory Willem This experience was all about taking part in the small tasks that contribute ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Written by Mary Schneider, Operation TRAP's Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Gulf Scholar Thoughts from Operation TRAP's UF Undergraduate Gulf Scholar: Mary Schneider During my internship, my primary role was cleaning out storm drain traps—an ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Operation TRAP (Trash Reduction for Aquatic Preserves) has just completed its first year of the project. Within the last year, we have installed 3 Watergoats, 8 storm drain traps, and 6 monofilament tubes in Pasco County and 9 storm drain traps ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
One of the most common items found during litter cleanups are cigarette butts. They were the number one debris item picked up over the past 25 years during the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. In 2022 alone, the Ocean Conservancy ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water