UF IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences SFFGS

09/10/2026

Equipment donated by NASA's Kennedy Space Center is now part of SFFGS Associate Research Scientist Rosvel Bracho's long-term agroecosystem research.

The eddy covariance sensors — carbon dioxide and water v***r, and methane — and a sonic anemometer, along with meteorological sensors, data collection, and power systems for the DeLuca Preserve are now operational.

The equipment donation exceeds $50,000 and will become an invaluable part of Bracho’s research which he is carrying out with his team members Post-Doctoral Associate Dr. Temnotfo (Tenzy) Mncube, and Biological Scientist Mike Trevino.

Data collected from this site is collected continuously and will provide information on the carbon dioxide dynamics — productivity — water used and water yield, but also on methane emissions as related to cows’ presence. In short, it provides information on ecosystem functioning across daily, seasonal, yearly, and multiyear timeframes.

Read the full story: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/ffgs/2026/09/10/new-data-site-expands-research-of-sustainable-grazing-lands-in-florida/

09/09/2026

The Southeast Silviculture Library (SESL) is an online repository of demonstration or scientific studies highlighting forest management approaches in our region.

The SESL can help you connect with the larger forest management community and document your forest management efforts.

Check out this webinar presented by Drs. Tyler Carney and Jason Vogel, UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences.

The course was offered by the Florida Land Steward Partnership and recorded September 8, 2026.

Learn more about the SESL: https://sesilvi.org/

The Southeast Silviculture Library (SESL) is an online repository o...

09/09/2026

SFFGS Research Professor Sue Lowerre-Barbieri, Ph.D., who leads the Movement Ecology and Reproductive Resilience (MERR) laboratory — a science collaborative between SFFGS and the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, is the recipient of the Oscar E. Sette Award for Outstanding Marine Fishery Biologist.

Recipients are chosen by the American Fisheries Society Marine Section members for demonstrating sustained excellence in marine fishery biology through research, teaching, and administration. Oscar Elton Sette (1900-1972) is acknowledged as the pioneer to integrate the scientific fields of fisheries, oceanography and meteorology.

"I was especially honored to receive it because it recognizes sustained excellence in marine fishery biology through research, teaching, administration, or a combination of the three," Dr. Lowerre-Barbieri said. "And maybe even more because of the quality of science done by previous recipients."

Read more about MERR: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/other/reproductive-publications/


Read more about the Oscar E. Sette Award:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/511cdc7fe4b00307a2628ac6/t/5de0875051c72e2c5e107a73/1574995793547/Tab08_AFS-Sette-Award_2019-12.pdf

09/08/2026

Don't forget to join our 14th Annual SFFGS Fall Social, Sept. 11, noon-3 p.m. in the breezeway at Newins-Ziegler Hall.

There will be SFFGS swag bags up for the taking with a drawing around 2 p.m., but prize-winners must be present.

Come enjoy the outdoor games and freshly grilled deliciousness!

09/04/2026

Raise your hand if you think Florida needs thousands of volunteer tree stewards!

Municipal, county and agency representatives throughout Florida joined the UF/IFAS Urban Forestry Extension for two days of hands-on training for team leaders in the Tree Stewards Volunteer program.

The workshop, held on August 25 and 26 at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County office, was led by UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) Urban Forestry Extension Program Coordinator Stephanie Cadaval and UF/IFAS Hillsborough Extension Agent Alyssa Vinson.

The goal of the training is to prepare participants to plan, lead, and implement a successful Tree Stewards program in their community.

“The project is one we have been working on for the past couple of years,” said SFFGS Professor of Forest Systems and Extension Specialist Michael Andreu.

Municipal, county and agency representatives throughout Florida joined the UF/IFAS Urban Forestry Extension for two days of hands-on training for team leaders in the Tree Stewards Volunteer program. The workshop, held on August 25 and 26 at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County office, was led b...

09/04/2026

Trick or treat!

Come dressed as your favorite forest critter and run, walk, or stroll with us through Austin Cary Forest on Halloween, Oct. 31, starting at 8 a.m.

Race proceeds support forestry education and outreach.

https://runsignup.com/Flatwoods5K

09/03/2026

Congrats to UF/IFAS Taylor County Extension Agent Victor Blanco for your American Fisheries Society Award for Excellence in Public Outreach!
Victor earned his Master of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (MFAS) in 2022 with Committee members SFFGS Prof. Shirley Baker (chair), SFFGS Prof. Josh Patterson and SFFGS Distinguished Prof. Kai Lorenzen.
The title of his technical paper was "An outreach program for recreational scalloping in Taylor County, Florida."
Click here to learn more about Victor’s impressive achievement: https://bit.ly/4yhLWWd

09/01/2026

Thank you National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Foundation for helping us continue to educate K-12 students on potential careers in geomatics.

The project received $28K from NCEES in 2025 based on a proposal by SFFGS Assistant Director for Geomatics Extension Katie Britt. And this year the award has increased to $38K.

SFFGS has been awarded funds to expand a library of surveying and mapping hands-on activities for K-12 clubs, camps, and classrooms.

The first ten kits aka “field trip in a box” were developed in 2025 and contain lessons about communicating with maps, measurements and field notes, compasses and directions, triangles and geometry, surveying with total stations, GPS, landforms and topography, photogrammetry, hydrographic surveying, and GIS and spatial analysis.

Read all about it:

  The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Foundation recently announced that the UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) has been awarded funds to expand a library of surveying and mapping hands-on activities for K-12 clubs, camps, and cla...

09/01/2026

The August 2026 newsletter for SFFGS is here! Come check out what we've been up to. The PDF version with clickable links is athttps://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/media/ffgsifasufledu/docs/pdf/monthly-sffgs-updates/2026-August-Newsletter.pdf

08/30/2026

Film viewing and panel discussion:
"Our Gulf, Our Future: Voices from Cedar Key"
September 1st
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT
In person at UF's Pugh Hall Ocora on the main Gainesville campus or streaming online.

The new documentary short highlights Cedar Key—a fishing community that has weathered multiple hurricanes in recent years.

SFFGS Professor and Director of the UF IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station at the University of Florida in Cedar Key Mike Allen will be on the panel.

His research has focused on population dynamics and ecology of fishes. He uses field studies and computer models to explore population dynamics of fishes that support important recreational fisheries. He has evaluated habitat requirements for fish populations, and identified fisheries management strategies for recreational fisheries in lakes, reservoirs, and marine environments.

Read about the event and other panelists here:
https://calendar.ufl.edu/bobgrahamcenter/event/55687-our-gulf-our-future-voices-from-cedar-key

Watch live on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/live/K9KuDdwS37g