Tag: water quality

How To Get A Vertical Oyster Garden!

by Lara Milligan
May 8, 2026

There is a lot of interest in residents and communities installing vertical oyster gardens (VOGs). This blog post discusses the process to get free VOGs through the UF/IFAS Extension Florida Sea Grant Program. If you want to learn more about ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Sea Grant, Oysters, Restoration, UF/IFAS Extension Pasco County’s Community Gardens Program, Vog, Vogs, Water Quality

‘Cutting-edge science’ from UF/IFAS Extension helps farmer preserve water, other parts of his ecosystem

by Brad Buck
March 9, 2026

For about 20 years, Colin Furness and his family have bred and raised miniature cattle and donkeys, and specialized in getting people started with their own herd of mini livestock. They raise registered Herefords, Florida Cracker cattle and ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Cattle, Cost Share, Dyllan Furness, Farm, Fencing, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Jonael Bosques, Peace River, Sowing Sustainability, Tropical Soda Apple, UF/IFAS Extension Hardee County, Water, Water Preservation, Water Quality, Wetlands

Survey shows most homeowners don’t understand the two key jobs of stormwater ponds

by Brad Buck
April 28, 2026

More than 76,000 stormwater ponds are woven into Florida neighborhoods. Yet beneath their calm surfaces, these ponds are quietly struggling. Many are overloaded with excess nutrients, fueling algal blooms and degrading water quality. At the ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, Water
Tags: Aesthetics, Buffer Zone, Ecosystems, Filter, Flooding, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food And Resource Economics, Hayk Khachatryan, Homeowners, Homeowners Associations, Knowledge, Michelle Atkinson, Mid-Florida Research And Education Center, Nutrients, Residential Neighborhood, Residents, Stormwater, Stormwater Ponds, UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County, Water, Water Quality

Community Science Night Showcases Student Research at NCBS

by Emily Colson
April 23, 2026

The Nature Coast Biological Station hosted its first Community Science Night on April 17 in Cedar Key, bringing together students and community members to share research and build connections around coastal science. The event was organized ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Aquatic Preserves, Coastal Systems, Community, Fisheries, Mangrove, Marsh, NCBS Graduate Students, Research, Seagrass, Snook, Springs, Suwannee River, Water Quality

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

by Lourdes Mederos
April 21, 2026

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, Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Algae, Ana Zangroniz, Aquaculture, Archive, 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

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

by Lourdes Mederos
April 21, 2026

Native Plants to Protect the Tampa Bay Watershed

by Tia Saracino
April 14, 2026

Thanks to a $5,000 bay-mini-grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County was able to develop a Bay Friendly Landscaping program. Educational classes were offered to teach residents about protecting the environment ... READ MORE

Category: , Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Home Landscapes, Native Plants, Tampa Bay, Tampa Riverwalk, Tsilvasy, Urban Wildlife, Video, Water, Water Quality, Watershed, Webinar, Wildlife

From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature

by Lourdes Mederos
April 13, 2026

It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged and can’t help but snap a ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Beneficial Wildlife, BioBlitz, Brittany Mason, Changes, Changes In Ecosystems, Changes In Environment, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Month, Coexistence With Wildlife, Community, Corey Callaghan, Crowdsource, Curiousity, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, EBird, Environmental Shifts, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Global Ecology, Habitat, Habitat Removal, Habitat Restoration, Inaturalist, Learning, Observations, Seasonal Changes, Smartphone, Species Distributions, Urbanization, Water Quality, Wildlife, Wildlife Monitoring

Marty the Mussel: A Tiny River Hero with a Big Story to Tell

by Rolando Negron
April 8, 2026

What if one of the most important guardians of our waterways was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand? Meet Marty, a freshwater mussel with an important job. Tucked into the riverbed, Marty spends his days quietly filtering water and ... READ MORE

Category: , UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Aquatic Ecosystems, Ashley Ruiz, Children’s Science Book, Conservation For Kids, Ecosystem Education, Environmental Science For Kids, Eutrophication, Freshwater Ecosystems, Freshwater Mussels, Marty The Mussel, Nature Books For Children, River Animals For Kids, River Wildlife, Rolando Negron, STEM For Kids, UF IFAS Bookstore, Water Quality

Living Shoreline FAQs

by Carolyn Kovacs
April 6, 2026

A living shoreline uses natural materials such as marsh grasses, mangroves, and bags of oyster shell to stabilize the shoreline. Living shorelines prevent erosion while simultaneously restoring habitat. Residents living in coastal areas ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Erosion, Flagler, Florida Sea Grant, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Habitat Restoration, Living Shorelines, Volusia, Water Quality

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