Tag: School of Forest Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences

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

by Brad Buck
March 28, 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, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Enhancement, Hernando Beach, Hernando County, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sponges, Tarpon Springs

UF scientists find good places to grow long-spined sea urchins, a starting point to restore ‘the lawn mowers of the reefs’

by Brad Buck
September 12, 2023

Scientists call long-spined sea urchins “the lawn mowers of the reefs” because they eat algae that could otherwise smother reef ecosystems and kill corals. That’s why researchers affiliated with the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aaron Pilnick, Caribbean, Coral Reefs, Florida Aquarium Conservation Campus, Florida Keys, Florida Sea Grant, Josh Patterson, Juvenile, Larva, Long-spined Sea Urchins, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, Settlement, Substrate, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Forest Landowner Academy: Enroll at any time

by Kirsten Romaguera Rabin
August 3, 2023

The University of Florida offers online educational opportunities through the UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning Catalog. UF/IFAS Extension experts in forestry and natural resources topics recently launched a new category, Forest Resources and ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Chris Demers, Extension Online Learning, FFGS, Forest Landowner Academy, Forest Management, Forestry, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences

Study: Wildfire spread risk increases where trees, shrubs replace grasses

by Kirsten Romaguera Rabin
May 18, 2023

A wildfire modeling study found that the risk of spot fires, where lofted sparks ignite foliage or buildings, increases in places where woody plants like shrubs and trees replace herbaceous plants like grasses. Prescribed burning ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Forest Management, Grassland, Prescribed Fire, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Spot Fires, Victoria Donovan, West Florida Research And Education Center, WFREC, Wildfire, Wildfires

Reimagining new home construction landscapes, backed by science

by Tory Moore
May 2, 2023

UF/IFAS researchers have partnered with award-winning land developers in Central Florida to study the benefits of landscapes that move away from traditional turf lawns and instead incorporate drought-tolerant plants native to Florida. Studying ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Center For Land Use Efficiency, Compost, Native Plants, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Soil Health, Turf Alternatives, UF/IFAS Extension Lake County, UF/IFAS Extension Osceola County, Urban Ecology, Urban Landscape Ecology, Water Conservation, Water Quality, Water Resources

Scientists discover cause of sea urchin die-offs in the Caribbean: a protozoan parasite

by Tory Moore
April 19, 2023

Highlights The long-spined sea urchin is an important species that helps keep coral reefs healthy. When long-spined sea urchins in the Caribbean began to die in large numbers in early 2022, scientists jumped in and discovered that a ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, NATURAL RESOURCES, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Caribbean, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Florida Sea Grant, Keystone Species, Long-spined Sea Urchins, NOAA, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins

Double the Trouble: Be aware of wildfire threats in hurricane aftermath, expert says

by Stella Canfield
April 4, 2023

As a hurricane-prone state, Florida knows all too well the concerns that come with hurricanes -- storm surge, hazardous debris, dangerous wind speeds. But what about wildfires? Though wildfires aren’t usually the first concern after a hurricane, ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Disaster Preparation, Forests
Tags: David Godwin, Fire, Fire Science, Hurricane Ian, Hurricanes, Panhandle, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Southern Fire Exchange, Wildfires

UF-led research gets help from NFL player and an Air Force veteran to restock sea urchins on coral reef

by Brad Buck
March 27, 2023

On and off over the past four decades, scientists have tried a handful of times to restore sea urchins on coral reefs because they eat harmful algae that otherwise smother the ecosystems. Results of a new collaborative study show promise ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aaron Pilnick, Air Force Veteran, Algae, Apollo Beach, Caribbean, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Coral Reefs, Diadema, Florida Aquarium, Force Blue Team, Frost Museum Of Science, Key Biscayne, NFL, Rainbow Reef, Restocking, Restoration, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Sea Urchins, Survival

New director named for UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab, envisions expansion of researchers and outreach

by Brad Buck
March 14, 2023

Aquarium hobbyists rely on the science and outreach conducted by researchers at the University of Florida’s Tropical Aquaculture Lab to supply their favorite species. Those tropical fish come from fish farmers. Now, the tropical fish industry ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Craig Watson, Fish Farmers, Fish Veterinarian, Florida Sea Grant, Matt DiMaggio, Nonnative Species Ecologist, Ornamental Fish, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Invasive apple snails in your backyard, waterways? UF/IFAS study dives into their threat to Florida’s wetlands

by Lourdes Mederos
March 6, 2023

A new study by researchers at the University of Florida provides a first look at the ecological impacts of the invasive apple snails on some of Florida’s most vulnerable habitats and environments. Nonnative apple snails came to Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Apple Snail, Archbold Biological Station, Biological Invasion, Buck Island Ranch, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystem Services, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Giant Apple Snail, Invasive Species, Island Apple Snail, Jiangxiao Qiu, News, Research, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Science Of The Total Environment, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, Water Quality, Wetlands, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

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