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Fossil bird study describes ripple effect of extinction in animal kingdom

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida study demonstrates extinction’s ripple effect through the animal kingdom, including how the demise of large mammals 20,000 years ago led to the disappearance of one species of cowbird.

Filed under Environment, Research on Monday, March 7, 2011.

UF researchers begin mission Friday to study Gulf of Mexico biodiversity

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A group of 23 researchers led by University of Florida scientist Gustav Paulay will leave from St. Petersburg Friday on an expedition to survey the biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico’s ocean floor.

Filed under Environment, Florida, Research on Thursday, March 3, 2011.

Updated UF scientific report explains relationship between turf grass, water quality

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Lawn fertilizer misuse is one of many factors degrading water quality in Florida and summertime fertilizer bans may not be a quick-fix solution, according to an updated report released this week by University of Florida scientists.

Filed under Agriculture, Business, Environment, Research on Thursday, February 24, 2011.

UF-led consortium garners $20 million grant to improve pine forest management

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Pine trees are one of the most important crops in the southeastern U.S., and a consortium led by University of Florida personnel has been awarded a five-year, $20 million federal grant to help landowners and foresters throughout the region adapt to and mitigate global climate change in coming decades.

Filed under Business, Economic Impact, Environment, Florida, Research on Friday, February 18, 2011.

Psychological effects of BP oil spill go beyond residents of impacted shorelines

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The psychological effects of the BP oil spill, the largest recorded environmental disaster in human history, extend far beyond people living around the areas of the Gulf of Mexico that were directly impacted by the spill, a new study finds.

Filed under Environment, Florida, Health, Research on Thursday, February 17, 2011.

Shark attacks increase worldwide; Florida continues four-year decline

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The number of reported shark attacks last year increased worldwide but declined in Florida, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File annual report released today.

Filed under Environment, Florida, Research on Monday, February 7, 2011.

Oil in Gulf of Mexico: Biologists cite need for critical data to determine ecological consequences

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Twenty years after biologists attempted to determine the ecological damages to marine life from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, scientists dealing with the BP disaster find themselves with the same problem: the lack of critical data to determine the ecological consequences of human-induced environmental disasters, a University of Florida researcher said.

Filed under Environment, Florida, Research, Sciences on Thursday, February 3, 2011.

Major gift bolsters UF pest management research

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Most people wouldn’t be inclined to show a passion for insects, but in a state that is home to several major seaports and provides a year-round climate where, on the average, a new species of insect is introduced each month, one Floridian in particular is very interested.

Filed under Business, Environment, Research on Wednesday, January 19, 2011.

UF-led study finds tiny shorebirds benefit from big storms

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Tiny threatened shorebirds on Florida’s west coast not only survive hurricanes, they seem to benefit from the storms’ aftereffects, according to new research findings that contradict conventional wisdom.

Filed under Environment, Florida, Research on Thursday, January 13, 2011.

UF researchers track ocean-crossing migration of blue shark

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Blue sharks are strong enough to cross the Southern Atlantic Ocean but need human protection at their destinations and points of departure, a University of Florida collaborative international tagging project finds.

Filed under Environment, Research on Wednesday, January 5, 2011.