Tagging and releasing a juvenile shark in the Caloosahatchee River Shark scientist and Florida Sea Grant extension agent Armando Ubeda loves talking about sharks, regardless of the audience. Over his career, he’s been involved with studies related to the movement and distribution of coastal sharks, shark fishing-related issues, and shark identification. As a UF/IFAS Florida…
Sophie Maginnes, a rising senior studying both environmental science and biology with a concentration in marine science and conservation at Duke University, is a recent recipient of the NOAA Hollings Scholarship. Maginnes discovered her passion for coral restoration during her time at Duke, during which she had the opportunity to take classes and conduct research…
Over 28 ‘Scars Hurt’ outreach signs are placed at boat ramps around Florida and internationally in Tasmania, Australia and the Seychelles. Interested in sponsoring a sign in your community? Email beseagrasssafe@gmail.com. Since 2015, Florida Sea Grant and UF/IFAS Extension’s Be Seagrass Safe campaign has educated Florida’s boaters and coastal communities alike about the devastating impact…
Victoria (Vicki) Gambale, a former Community Engagement Program Director for The Bay Foundation, part of Santa Monica Bay’s National Estuary Program, has been named Florida Sea Grant’s Clean Vessel Act Education Coordinator. In her new role, Gambale will work collaboratively with Florida’s recreational boating community to reduce boat-based pollution. Her efforts are currently focused on…
September is marked as Microplastics Awareness Month and September 18th is International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICC) for people around the world. As Floridians, coastal cleanups are essential to preserving the quality of life for not only humans, but for our aquatic friends as well. The Ocean Conservancy, a national nonprofit, started International Coastal Cleanup Day…
Thank you to those who took the time to enter their photographs into our 2021 Keep Our Oceans Clean Photo Contest during last month’s #PlasticFreeJuly themed event. Our panel of judges were blown away by each photo submission and the commitments made to preserving the environment around us from the threat of plastic pollution. The…
Calling all shutterbugs! Show us what motivates you to reduce your plastic use. In celebration of Plastic-Free July, Florida Sea Grant is running a photo contest to honor the many motivations that lead individuals to cut back their plastic use, opting instead to reduce, reuse, recycle, or refuse. Plastics are present in our everyday life—but…
People love Florida-farmed clams. They are great on pasta or to eat baked, steamed or raw. Sales of these munchable mollusks typically peak around holidays, but during the 2020 Memorial Day weekend, Florida clam farmers watched as markets for their product dwindled in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants and bars are the largest…
Since 2014, UF/IFAS Extension Florida Sea Grant agents have engaged citizen scientists to help gather data that managers need to evaluate coastal waters. Agents train citizens in agency-approved water quality-testing protocols and provide them with the equipment they need. While the data cannot be used for regulatory purposes, it provides researchers and managers a higher resolution view of trends…
By: Lourdes Rodriguez, 954-577-6363 office, 954-242-8439 mobile, rodriguezl@ufl.edu FLORIDA – Florida’s coral reef ecosystems are at a critical state of vulnerability and in need of conservation efforts. Of much concern is the Southeast Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, also referred to as the Coral ECA, the northernmost part of Florida’s reef tract stretching from the…