The Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
Also known as the Water Moccasin, this is a snake that is all too familiar with most Floridians... Or is it? Several non-venomous water snakes are often confused with the cottonmouth and are thus killed. That said, cottonmouths are common in the state near areas of...
Snorkel the Gulf Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary
Photo Credit: Mike Sandler Join the UF/IFAS Natural Resource Extension Agents as we explore the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary. Thursday, August 17, 2017 from 9 am until 1 pm. Register today at: https://nbsnorkel.eventbrite.com The Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary...
Summer Rain in the Florida Panhandle
ARTICLE BY DR. MATT DEITCH; water quality specialist - University of Florida Milton Summer is a great time for weather-watching in the Florida panhandle. Powerful thunderstorms appear out of nowhere, and can pour inches of rain in an area in a single afternoon. Our...
Lemon bacopa, a beautiful pond plant or a weed?
Bacopa caroliniana, also known as lemon bacopa, is a popular aquatic plant. It is mostly found in the southeastern United States in states such as Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and even Texas. Lemon bacopa has a perennial life cycle that could...
Finding Common Ground on Climate Change
Climate change is one of those topics that most people don't want to think much about. It can be overwhelming, it can be controversial, and it can be downright frightening. A year ago, Yale and George Mason University completed the most recent surveys in the “Six...
Snorkeling Safety at the Jetty
The St Andrew Bay pass jetty is more like a close family friend than a collection of granite boulders. The rocks protect the inlet ensuring the vital connections of commerce and recreation. One of the treasured spots along the jetty is known locally as the “kiddie...
The Summer of Sharks
I am calling this “Summer of Sharks” as if this summer is more of a problem than others are. In fact, it is not… no more, so than any other summer –so we could call any summer the “summer of sharks”. “Shark Fever” is more correlated with when and how the press...
Our Panhandle Springs Provide a Magical Experience
Imagine yourself as an early settler, migrating with your family into the area known as La Florida, with the hope of staking a claim and building a new life. You’ve heard stories of horrendous mosquitos, fierce native peoples, deadly snakes, and giant alligators....
The Status of Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture in the U.S. and Florida
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY DR. CHARLES ADAMS, FLORIDA SEA GRANT The demand for seafood in the US continues to grow. This growth is a function of a number of factors, including the increased awareness of the healthful attributes of many finfish and shellfish products,...
Ecotourism in Northwest Florida
What do you imagine when the word “ecotourism” comes to mind? I know I usually daydream about a trip my husband I took to Costa Rica several years ago, surrounded by lush tropical rainforests as we ziplined through the canopy. I might also think about visiting a...