Archive of Featured Articles

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to accelerate our conservation efforts, and scientists at FWRI are working to expand access to this helpful tool. Leveraging AI streamlines the process of species identification, behavior monitoring, and population assessment through photo, video, and audio analysis.

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In Florida, there is currently not enough information on suitable locations for oyster restoration projects. FWRI research scientists are developing oyster habitat suitability indices for six basins along the Gulf coast which will provide critical information on the most suitable restoration sites. Maps of suitable oyster habitat will be developed and available to the public through the FWC website. These maps and indices will also help guide future oyster restoration efforts in other areas along the Gulf coast of Florida and throughout Florida.

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FWRI is exploring novel monitoring techniques to enhance the recreational fishing estimates used for fisheries management. Our recent implementation of camera systems on Florida’s Atlantic coast aims to supplement traditional survey methods, ensure data consistency and streamline the monitoring process. These systems offer promise in providing accurate and continuous data and augmenting our understanding of recreational fishing efforts to better support fisheries management.

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In recent years, larger Gulf Striped Bass caught by anglers and sampled by biologists have become increasingly rare. FWC researchers aimed to understand the underlying causes behind the reduction of fish numbers, particularly larger size classes.
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Oil spill and disaster response begins years in advance with meticulous planning. FWRI’s Information Science and Management division has a detailed plan in place to protect Florida’s habitats in the event of disaster.
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In 2021, the Crystal River Field Lab was established to facilitate research and monitoring activities in the Big Bend region.
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Shoal Bass (Micropterus cataractae) are a unique species of black bass endemic to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. A recently discovered species that was formally described a little more than two decades ago, Shoal Bass are listed as a species of greatest conservation need by the FWC.
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Florida contains a wealth of natural environments. For FWRI's Information Science and Management Group (IS&M), the challenge is how to best inform the public stakeholder and how to best represent spatial information in a clear and informative way. IS&M’s Boating and Angling Guides and Pier Finder are just two products that assist the public in learning about and exploring the natural ecosystems of Florida.
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Initiated in 2017, this project was created to establish a shorebird program dedicated to the successful restoration of shorebird and seabird populations impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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The Fisheries Independent Monitoring (FIM) program at FWRI strives to provide timely, fisheries-independent data and analysis to fisheries managers for the conservation and protection of Florida’s fisheries. The program was established in Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor in 1989.
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The Conservation Actions Tracker (CAT) is a tool that provides a visual representation of past, current, and impending conservation work around the state and includes detailed information about each listed conservation action.
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Effective Gulf sturgeon restoration requires a better understanding of baseline status and conditions, an ability to identify and prioritize habitats most in need of restoration, and a framework for monitoring the results of restoration in an adaptive management context. To address these needs, FWC researchers proposed to study juvenile Gulf Sturgeon habitat use and preference in estuaries in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
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FWRI coordinates monitoring of sea turtle nesting activity in Florida through two separate and complementary programs: the Statewide Nesting Beach Survey (SNBS) program and the Index Nesting Beach Survey (INBS) program.
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FWRI's Naples Field Lab is one of the Institute’s 31 field labs located throughout the state. Since 1981, this lab has been home to the Florida Panther Project. Learn about current research efforts to aid in the recovery and conservation of Florida panthers.
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