This began with a call from one of my volunteers who was checking salinity at Shoreline Park. She reported the salinity, but also reported to smell of dead fish – though she could not see them. I visited Shoreline Park the following day ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources
By Ana Zangroniz & Laura Tiu Earlier this month, my esteemed colleague Laura Tiu (Walton County Florida Sea Grant Agent), and I concluded our first hybrid Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) course. We taught Coastal Systems following ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
What is it? Coral reef scientists in the Caribbean recently released a paper cataloging the spread of a new invader on Venezuelan coral reefs: an Indo-Pacific soft coral or octocoral. This species, categorized as Unomia stolonifera, is ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Over the course of the last month or so, talk of the sargassum “blob” has dominated local and national news headlines, and has even made it into pop culture television like The Daily Show. With all of the attention the “blob” is getting, ... READ MORE
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A few weeks ago, my physical therapist, an avid fisherman, got into a debate with another therapist in the practice. I was called in as the judge to answer the question at hand: can fish feel pain? My therapist said that he didn’t think so, ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
The Starting Point A common mistake first time Atala butterfly gardeners make, me included, is to suppose that what we did to raise other butterflies, e.g. Zebra, Fritillary, or Monarch butterflies will work the same with Atalas. Unfortunately, ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Spinning, swirling sawfish—oh my. But why? Since last fall, reports of stranded, whirling, “spinning” and even dead sawfish have been making headlines in the lower Florida Keys. These events have been observed by community members and ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
What has happened: There have been new developments with the Xeniid soft coral invasion in the Caribbean. The inspiration for my February 2023 original blog post was the confirmation of Unomia stolonifera in northern Cuba, which is quite ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesCoontie Plant Care South Florida’s Wet and Dry Seasons: Coonties start to flush out new growth with warming temperatures in March through May and continue to do so during our rainy season, which runs June through September. Each plant ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, WildlifeIn-A-Pinch Preventative Measures The Other Cycads: In my early years of Atala butterfly gardening I would panic during their peak caterpillar munching phase. Fearing I would run out of coonties, I planted other cycads to alleviate the ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife