Category: Natural Resources

Too Cold to Swim: What Florida’s Winter Weather Means for Sea Turtles

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
January 29, 2026

Florida is famous for its warm beaches, swaying palms, and marine life. But when winter cold fronts sweep through, even our Sunshine State can get chilly enough to place sea turtles in danger. What is Cold-Stunning? Sea turtles are ectothermic ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, WORK & LIFE
Tags: Boating, Cold Events, Florida Sea Grant, Marine Life, Sea Turtles, Wildlife Rehabilitation

Upcoming Cold Temperatures Signals Manatee Season is Near!

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
October 29, 2025

As cooler weather begins to move into Florida this weekend, we’re once again reminded that the time when the Florida manatee (also known as the West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris) seeks warm-water refuge is upon us. These ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Chassahowitzka, Cold Events, Florida Sea Grant, Manatees, Weeki Wachee

Marshes in Motion

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
September 15, 2025

Ever wandered through the salt marshes of Hernando County and noticed the ground moving? Look closer, and you might catch sight of an entire troop of fiddler crabs scurrying across the mud. Meet the Fiddler Crab The most obvious fiddler ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Fiddler Crabs, Florida Sea Grant, Healthy Ecosystems, Marine Life, Salt Marsh

Wildlife & Invasive Species Education™ (WISE) Free Webinars

by Jim Davis
July 23, 2025

Protect Native Wildlife & Fight Invasive Species with W.I.S.E. Webinars – Free in 2025! Join the 2025 Wildlife & Invasive Species Education™ (W.I.S.E.) webinar series to explore the fascinating world of native wildlife and learn ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Backyard Wildlife, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, Master Naturalist, Wildlife

Technical and Financial Assistance Available for Producers to Implement Agriculture Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Central Florida

by Yilin
August 7, 2024

Producers have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) that maintain or improve water quality, quantity, and soil conditions on their farms for many years. For the purposes of the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Water
Tags: Ag BMP, Agriculture, Best Management Practices, Cost Share, Water, Water Quality, Water Quantity

Summer is here and so are the scallops!

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
June 27, 2024

Summertime along Florida’s Nature Coast offers a unique adventure: recreational scalloping. Enthusiasts and families alike eagerly anticipate this activity, seeking out the bay scallops that inhabit the shallow seagrass beds. These fascinating ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Clean A Scallop, Florida Sea Grant, Florida's Adventure Coast, Nature Coast, Scallop Sorter, Scalloping

Reporting Sightings of Tagged Horseshoe Crabs in Hernando: A Citizen Science Opportunity

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
May 17, 2024

Since 2018, volunteers in Hernando have been diligently tagging horseshoe crabs as part of an ongoing statewide effort to study and conserve these fascinating creatures. Horseshoe crabs are known to come ashore during the new and full moons ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Ecosystems, Wildlife

Fire from the Sky

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
April 11, 2024

The University of Florida recently hosted an intensive 4-day drone course for the Florida Forest Service, providing foresters with the essential aviation knowledge and hands-on drone operation skills. This initiative is revolutionizing how the ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Professional Development, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Drones, Florida Forest Service, Florida Sea Grant, UF/IFAS Extension Hernando County

Taking the sponge plunge to enhance an important species in the Gulf

by Brad Buck
April 3, 2024

On a recent overcast day, University of Florida experts dove into the Gulf, hoping to increase sponge abundance in an area off Hernando Beach. It’s not a deep dive – about 10 feet. But the hard bottom is key: It’s where sponges live ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Tags: Brittany Scharf, Don Behringer, Enhancement, Hernando Beach, Hernando County, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sponges, Tarpon Springs

Scallop Sitters in Hernando County

by Brittany Hall-Scharf
March 26, 2024

Over the last year, a team of volunteers worked hard to help give the bay scallop population off Hernando's coast a boost. These volunteers go by the name of "Scallop Sitters." Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by visitors and residents ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, WORK & LIFE
Tags: Florida Sea Grant, Hernando, Scallops, UF/IFAS Extension Hernando County

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