Category: Conservation

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, Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, 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

UF/IFAS warns of emerging pest threatening South Florida crops: Two-spot cotton leafhopper detected

by Lourdes Mederos
September 15, 2025

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is alerting growers to a new pest of concern making its mark in South Florida farms and nurseries: the invasive two-spot cotton leafhopper. Measuring ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Alexandra Revynthi, Cotton, Entomology And Nematology, FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services Division Of Plant Industry, Flowers, Hibiscus, Hibiscus Flowers, Home Gardens, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Okra, Ornamental Hibiscus, Peanut, Plant Pathology, Potato, Soybean', Sunflower, Tropical Hibiscus, Tropical Research And Education Center, Two-spot Cotton Leafhopper, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida

Is seaweed aquaculture the next big crop for Florida?

by Lourdes Mederos
August 27, 2025

Florida’s coastline may one day host more than oysters, clams, fish and shrimp. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Florida Sea Grant are asking whether seaweed could be the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Andrew Ropicki, Angela Collins, Aquaculture, Ashley Smith, Dail Laughinghouse, Economics, Extension, Florida, Florida Sea Grant, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Gabrielle Foursa, Growers, Harvest, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lourdes Mederos, Macroalgae, News, NOAA National Sea Grant, NOAA National Sea Grant Aquaculture Program, Seaweed, Seaweed Aquaculture, Seaweed Farming, Sponge, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Water Quality

August 7: Free workshop helps farmers, ranchers master financial planning, from balance sheets to USDA loans

by Lourdes Mederos
July 29, 2025

Running a successful farm or ranch takes more than just hard work — it takes smart financial planning. From managing taxes to applying for federal loan programs, today’s agribusiness operators must be well-versed in a range of budgetary ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, Livestock, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Business Plan, Farm Service Agency, Food And Resource Economics, FSA, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Ranchers, Tax And Asset Protection, Tax Management, Texas A&M, Tropical Research & Education Center, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida, USDA Loans

Scientists will use $1M grant to build a support system addressing sea level rise and flooding in South Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
July 17, 2025

A team of University of Florida scientists has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to tackle one of South Florida’s most urgent environmental threats: groundwater flooding and saltwater intrusion caused ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Disaster Preparation, Farm Management, Forests, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Ashley Smith, Biochemistry, Conservation, Eban Bean, Edward Evans, Flood, Flood Mitigation, Flood Risk, Food And Resource Economics, Grant, Green Infrastructures, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Mangrove Restoration, Miami, National Science Foundation, News, Rain Gardens, Saltwater Intrusion, Sea Level Rise, Soil And Water Sciences, Soil Sciences, Southeast Florida, Stormwater, Stormwater Runoff, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Young Gu Her, Zachary Brym

UF/IFAS study: Drones, AI help farmers save money, protect the environment

by Lourdes Mederos
May 21, 2025

A new University of Florida study shows how drones can do more than just take aerial pictures and videos—they can help farmers grow better hemp by seeing the health of their crops with some artificial intelligence assistance. Researchers ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: #AI, Agriculture, Agroecology, Artificial Intelligence, Canopy, Crops, Dollar Drone Company, Drone, Fertilization, Fertilizer, Flower Production, Hemp, Hemp Canopy, Hemp Research, Nitrogen, Nutrients, Plant Health, Reflectance, Tropical Research And Education Center, Zachary Brym

UF/IFAS scientists discover sea-level rise threat to Florida’s endangered pine rocklands

by Lourdes Mederos
April 17, 2025

Pine rocklands are home to plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. They are also one of the world's most endangered habitats. Unique to South Florida, the Florida Keys and some islands in The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, these upland ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Horticulture, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Beneficial Fungi, Caicos, Conservation, DNA, Droughts, Ecosystem, Elena Karlsen-Ayala, Endangered Habitat, Florida, Florida Keys, Forest, Fungi, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Limestone Forest, Matthew Smith, Miami Dade, Molecular Ecology, Mycorrhizas, News, Pine Rocklands, Plant Pathology, Reforestation, Regeneration, Rising Temperatures, Romina Gazis, Salinity, Salt Intrusion, Sea Level Rise, Slash Pines, Symbiotic Associations, The Bahamas, Tropical Research And Education Center, Turks, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida

Cultivating connections: Showcasing Miami-Dade’s blooming nursery industry and the need for more research on disease

by Lourdes Mederos
March 26, 2025

With a $31.4 billion economic impact, Florida leads the nation in nursery production. Miami-Dade County ranks No.1 in production nationwide, with nurseries accounting for 84% of the county's agricultural sector. It is no wonder with the ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: American Floral Endowment, American Hort Foundation Horticulture Research Institute, Dade County Farm Bureau, FNGLA, Gardenia, Hibiscus, Hibiscus Bud Weevil, Inc., Jeffrey DeMott, Miami Dade, Miami-Dade Chapter Of FNGLA, Orchids, Palms, Redland Nursery, Silver Vase, Subtropical Ornamentals, Thrips Parvispinus, Tropical Research And Education Center, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Xingbo Wu

UF/IFAS team secures $5M USDA grant to expand avocado production into Central Florida, combat Laurel wilt disease

by Lourdes Mederos
December 12, 2024

Scientists with the University of Florida have secured a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to combat the lethal Laurel wilt disease and the redbay ambrosia beetles responsible ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Pests, Avocado, Avocado Cultivation, California, Climate Change, Diseases, Florida Avocado, Florida Crops, Florida Economy, Growth, Insects, Jeffrey Rollins, Jonathan Crane, Kentucky, Laurel Wilt, Mexico, Miami-Dade County, Mitigation Strategies, Nifa, Pests, Red Ambrosia Beetle, Redbay Ambrosia Beetle, Research, Sustainability, Tropical Research And Education Center, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, Usda, USDA National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, USDA-NIFA, Workshop

Seeding the future: UF/IFAS and Florida Sea Grant secure $250K NOAA grant to cultivate seaweed aquaculture in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
November 12, 2024

Atlantic subtropical seaweed is making waves among scientists who are exploring its potential for economic and environmental benefits for the Sunshine State. The University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant have secured a $250,000 grant from ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: And Ecosystem Sciences, Angela Collins, Aquaculture, Aquaculture Farming, Aquaculture In Florida, Ashley Smyth, Business, Climate Change, Cultivation Of Seaweed, Dail Laughinghouse, Enterprise, Extension, Farmable Products, Florida Sea Grant, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Grant, Kelp, NOAA, Nori, Seaweed Farming, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Subtropical Seaweed, Tropical Research And Education Center, Tropical Seaweed, UF/IFAS, Water

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