Tag: South Florida

Be an invader detector: UF scientists call on public to help track elusive Asian Swamp Eels

by Lourdes Mederos
April 7, 2026

University of Florida researchers are urging South Floridians to help stop the spread of an invasive fish now secretly moving through canals, marshes and wetlands across the region’s most vulnerable environments. Visitors, residents, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, Asian Swamp Eel, Canals, Citizen Science Month, Conservation, Croc Docs, Fish, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank J. Mazzotti, Frank Mazzotti, Invasive Species, IVEGOT1 Mobile App, South Florida, Southeast Asia, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, USGS, Wetlands

Cold-hardy avocados aimed at transforming Florida’s future fruit industry

by Lourdes Mederos
March 12, 2026

Highlights: University of Florida scientists proved their cold‑hardy avocado lines can survive the January 2026 freeze, enduring temperatures as low as 17 degrees, which is far colder than commercial varieties like Hass can tolerate. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, Anthracnose, Avocado, California, Central Florida, Cold Resistance, Cold-hardy, Cultivar, Disease Resistance, Florida, Florida Agriculture, Florida Avocado, Florida-grown Avocado, Food Is Medicine, Freeze Resistant, Hass, Horticultural Sciences, Horticulture, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jose Chaparro, Laboratory, Laurel Wilt, News, North Florida, Soil, South Florida, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, University Of Florida, Water

Florida termite breakthrough research sparks a nationwide surveillance collaboration initiative

by Lourdes Mederos
February 19, 2026

A new nationwide initiative inspired by University of Florida research is uniting scientists and industry professionals across the United States to stay ahead of destructive invasive termites. Known as The North American Termite Survey ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termite, Entomology And Nematology, Extension, Florida, Formosan Subterranean Termite, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, Model, National Invasive Species Awareness Week, NATS, News, Pest Management, South Florida, Structural Damage, Structural Entomologists, Termite Infestations, Termites, The North American Termite Survey, Thomas Chouvenc, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, University Of Florida Termite Collection

Meet the UF/IFAS Extension FCS Agent for Miami Dade County

by Jessica Alfonso-Rodriguez
December 22, 2025

About Me I'm happy to introduce myself as your new UF/IFAS Extension Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent in Miami-Dade County. If you're not familiar with FCS, it is a field of study that combines the science and art of living well ... READ MORE

Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Money Matters, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: FCS, Financial Literacy, Food Entrepreneurship, Health, Jessica Alfonso- Rodriguez, Miami-Dade, Nutrition, South Florida, UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Extension, Wellness

Intentional hosting: The key to a good, stress-free gathering

by Lourdes Mederos
December 18, 2025

Gatherings don’t have to feel overwhelming or revolve entirely around food. The key to a meaningful celebration is intentional hosting, a practice that Jessica Alfonso-Rodriguez experienced and developed while growing up in South Florida. ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Board Games, Celebration, Connect, Family An D Consumer Sciences, Gatherings, Healthy Appetizers, Holiday, Holiday Gatherings, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Intentional Hosting, Jessica Alfonso- Rodriguez, Menu, Mindful Moment, Mindfullness, Mocktails, News, Planning Activities, South Florida, Stress-free, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida, Yearlong

Edamame, a Nutritious New Crop in Florida

by Gillian McGuire
November 28, 2025

Did you know edamame can grow in Florida? Edamame shares the same species name as the soybean, which is already an important crop in Florida. This vegetable, native to Asia, differs from the soybean in that it has bigger seeds, produces larger ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, Commercial Production, Edamame, Home Garden Crops, Horticultural Sciences Department, South Florida

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Agronomy (Sept.–Oct.)

by Amanda Quintos
November 5, 2025

Potential and Economic Valuation of Carbon in Grasslands Kevin R. Trumpp, Chang Zhao, and José C. Dubeux. Grasslands have great potential for removing carbon from the atmosphere, helping contribute to the state economy while regulating greenhouse ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock
Tags: Agronomy Department, Beef Cattle, Carbon, Dove Hunting, Field Management, Forage, Grasslands, South Florida

Trailblazing entomologist’s gift creates a home for students, future scientists – and a legacy of belonging

by Lourdes Mederos
October 23, 2025

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will celebrate a milestone moment on Nov. 1 at 4:30 p.m., when the doors open to the Pauline O. Lawrence Student Residence at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Agriculture, Dormitory, Edward "Gilly" Evans, Edward Evans, Emeritus Professor Carlton Davis, Empathy, Entomology, Enviroment, First Black Female Graduate Student, Food And Resource Economics, Fruit Flies, Future Scientists, Graduate Students, Groves, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, J. Scott Angle, Miami-Dade County, Natural Resources, News, Pauline O. Lawrence Student Residence, Resilience, Richard Baranowski, South Florida, Students, TREC, TREC Dormitory Fund, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center, Tropical Vegetable, Tropics, UF, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center, University Of Florida

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

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