A Sea of Grass; Part 3 – The Sponges
Many who visit a seagrass bed for fishing or snorkeling, see many forms of marine life while there. There are numerous small silver fish darting in and out of the grass, an occasional stingray half buried in the sand waiting to ambush prey, and sometimes a...
UF/IFAS Water School Webinar Series: Managing Stormwater in a Changing FL Panhandle 2023
Join us for a two-part webinar series: Managing Stormwater in a Changing FL Panhandle 2023 on May 3 from 8-11 am CST (9-12 pm EST), and May 17 from 8-11 am CST (9-12 pm EST). For those that have attended in previous years, we have a lot of new material to present and...
Sea of Grass; Part 2 – The Epibiota
The open grasslands of the American west support huge herds of grazing herbivores such as bison, antelope, and deer. These large herds again support populations of hunters such as wolves, coyotes, and – historically – bears. The huge acres of wetland...
A Large Mass of Seaweed is Heading to Florida; Will It Impact the Florida Panhandle?
It sounds like one of those Sci-Fi thrillers where there is a giant asteroid heading to Earth and we need a special team led by Bruce Willis to save the planet. But in this case it is not a large rock, but a large mass of seaweed. And the threat is not a...
A Sea of Grass; Part 1 – The Grasses
Many in the Florida panhandle are aware of the importance of seagrasses to estuarine ecology. They have heard this many times before and have heard how important it is to protect them. Some are aware that they are important as a nursery for many commercial...
Multi-County Private Well and Water Quality Workshop
Private well system in Florida. Image: C. Wofford, UF/IFAS Photography As a private well owner, you are responsible for ensuring that your water is safe to drink. What do you know about where well water comes from? Do you know how well water can become contaminated?...
Turkeys in the Sunshine State
Florida is home to 2 subspecies of the wild turkey, the Eastern and the Osceola. One might think turkeys in Florida live at the beach. However, Turkeys prefer forested habitats such as hardwoods, pines, and cypress swamps. Their diet, depending on time of year and...
Reducing Health Advisories in Our Coastal Waters; Part 4 Maintaining Your Sewage System
It seems odd that we would be talking about maintaining your sewer system; that was a selling point to convert from septic. But there are things we do that can cause clogs in the lines that initiate what we call Sanitary Sewage Overflows (SSOs). These...
Wildflowers 101
Planting Wildflowers A Florida native wildflower is a flowering herbaceous species that had grown wild in the state’s natural ecosystems in the 1560s when Florida’s first botanical records were created. Planting native wildflowers in Florida benefits natural...
Recreate Responsibly
Spring break is upon us and this often includes trips to the beach. Encountering dolphins and other marine life in the wild can be a once-in-a lifetime experience. There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow to prevent human/wildlife conflict while...